


Apples Always Fall (As I Do For You)

by rainbowsandgucci



Series: We’ll Make This Feel Like Home [1]
Category: One Direction
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Orchard, Angst, Background Relationships, Bc of Harry/Zayn, But there is 0 cheating nope nope nope, Daddy Kink, Falling In Love, Family, Finding home, Fluff, Harry calls Louis princess a lot but like, He gets used as a plot device, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, It might seem like there would be, Just slightly, M/M, Miscommunication, Nick Grimshaw - Freeform, Oh also there is no cheating, Orchard AU, Pet Names, References to Drugs, Roadtrips, Slow Burn, That's slow burn too, apple orchard, theres no like feminization or anything
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-23
Updated: 2017-11-04
Packaged: 2019-01-22 01:20:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 54,609
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12470300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rainbowsandgucci/pseuds/rainbowsandgucci
Summary: ”Due to unforeseen circumstances, help is needed here at the orchard for the impending apple season. Looking for someone able to start within the next week or two at the most, is willing to do whatever miscellaneous tasks are needed, such as picking & packing apples, running the cash register, and other handywork that may need to be done. Must be good with customers, and able to lift up to 50lbs. Help will be needed until at the least the end of October. Please contact the number found on this page, or come out to the orchard and ask for Harry. All the love xx”---Louis is staying at his Aunt's farm in a small town in Minnesota for four months. To deal with the boredom that sets in a week into his stay, he starts working at the local apple orchard, owned by twenty six year old Harry Styles.Louis quickly finds himself falling in love with the orchard, and he finds a family in Harry's friends Niall, Liam, and Zayn.He also starts to fall in love with Harry.Falling in love with him turns out to be the easy part.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, I started writing this baby over a month ago, with the intention of it being around 10k. Somehow, it wound up being way longer, and I can't bring myself to complain. 
> 
> I also made a [spotify playlist](https://open.spotify.com/user/vivalaambergrrr/playlist/3rG01JI2IPZ8PKAD4CwZ0a) for it, so give that a listen if you'd like!
> 
> A huge thank you to Nina, for listening to my yelling when I first came up with this idea, and continuing to yell at/with me as I wrote it!
> 
> And a massive thank you to Parker, for watching me type and being my own personal cheerleader.
> 
> Without you two this definitely wouldn't have been this long, or finished as quickly as it was. <3

_August 16th_

As far as vacations go, Louis supposes, he could’ve had worse. Not that the middle of nowhere in Southern Minnesota near the end of summer is as great as, say, Jamaica -yeah fuck off Stan-, but it’s not _horrible_. Of course, it wouldn’t have been his first pick either, but his aunt had been wanting him to visit for _years_ , and it just so happened that she had a spare room at the exact same time the offices at his place of work were being renovated, granting him exactly five months of _paid_ vacation time.

So, here he was, stepping off an airplane in Minneapolis, in the middle of August, and not scheduled to return home until December fifteenth, right before his birthday.

_Goody_.

After a slightly tearful reunion with his Aunt Jenna-who he’d _just_ seen last Christmas, honestly- and two cousins -eleven year old Leo and eight year old Anna-, they set off on the hour and a half drive to their home in essentially, the middle of nowhere.

Her place is lovely of course; two hundred acres of rolling hills, fields, a green pasture speckled with the white of sheep, the black and white of dairy cows, and a shimmering pond settled at the base of the hills. At the top of the largest hill and surrounded by trees, sits their beautiful two story house. 

It’s sunset when they arrive, and as Louis stands and observes, he finds himself thinking that if everything is this beautiful around here, maybe the next few months, spent in the middle of nowhere in Minnesota, just might not be so bad.

\---

_August 24th_

This is, without a doubt, the most boring vacation Louis has ever been on.

He’s been here just over a week, and he’s been out of things to do since day four.

On day three, his cousins had both left to stay at their grandparent’s place for a week before school starts. That quiets the house considerably, and Louis’ aunt and uncle are both so caught up with field work, gardening, and everything else, that Louis has no one to show him around. It’s more than a little frustrating.

Louis groans, and rolls over in bed, and grabs his phone, just to see that it’s barely even six in the morning. He groans again, and turns back over.

On day five, he’d been so bored, he’d offered to help his aunt with her garden work. It’d sounded like a good idea at first, but after barely half an hour of him attempting to help and winding up only making faces when he’d gotten dirt on his shoes, she’d laughed at him, and shooed him off.

Louis huffs. It’s not like it’s _his_ fault he’d only packed along brand name clothing, seeing as it’s all he _owns_. It’s also not his fault he’s never worked anywhere but an office, and it’s _also_ not his fault his shoes were brand new.

They were _vans_ , okay? 

Louis sighs -again, yes- and finally sits up in bed, grabbing his phone and beginning to scroll through the notifications that accumulated overnight. 

Four texts from his mum, two from Lottie, seven snaps, a few emails (none work related, thank fuck), multiple twitter notifications from various celebrities, and about five _billion_ from the stupid facebook page he’d joined on day two that documented everything that was going on in the little town a couple miles away from where his aunt and uncle lived. Mostly, the only people who posted in it were people over the age of thirty, looking to start shit with everyone and everything. Sure, it had been entertaining at first, but after only like, a week, he’s absolutely fed up with seeing fucking Sharon and Marge going at it every few hours.

When he goes into the page to leave the group, the post at the top of the page catches his eye, and he scrolls down slightly to read it. It was made by another page called _Stylish Apples Orchard_ , which Louis raises an eyebrow at before reading.

_”Due to unforeseen circumstances, help is needed here at the orchard for the impending apple season. Looking for someone able to start within the next week or two at the most, is willing to do whatever miscellaneous tasks are needed, such as picking & packing apples, running the cash register, and other handywork that may need to be done. Must be good with customers, and able to lift up to 50lbs. Help will be needed until at the least the end of October. Please contact the number found on this page, or come out to the orchard and ask for Harry. All the love xx”_

Who the fuck signs off a facebook post?

Louis stares at the post for a couple seconds, honestly more than a little amused, before deciding _fuck it_ , and clicking on the page’s name. If he’s going to be here another four months, why not look into getting a job that’ll kill time for the next two?

The page tells him that Stylish Apples Orchard is owned by Harry Styles -the orchard’s name is a fucking _pun_ what even- who has been running the place for nearly five years now, and it’s located just eight miles away from Louis’ aunt’s place. Looking through the photos, Louis recognizes it, having been past it a couple times on the way into and out of town. It looks like a nice place, and judging by the five star rating, it must be popular with the locals.

Logically, Louis knows he should ask his aunt about the orchard (to find out from someone who actually lives here if it’s a good idea) but Louis knows if he asks about working at an _orchard_ , she’ll just laugh at him again.

So, he saves the number to his phone, and, telling himself to just _go for it_ , he presses call.

The number rings once, twice, three times, and Louis is about to hang up and try again later, when finally, there’s a little _click_ , and a deep, accented voice is speaking.

“Hi, Stylish Apples Orchard. How may I help you?”

The voice is a lot deeper than Louis had expected, and he fumbles briefly. “Oops, I mean. Uh, hi I just saw your post on Facebook about looking for a worker? Is that still available?”

There’s a slight shuffling on the other end, and then the person on the other end is speaking again. “Absolutely! What’s your name?”

“M’name’s Louis. Uh, Tomlinson. Louis Tomlinson.”

“Alright Louis, I’m Harry Styles! So, the position is still available, and what I’d like to do, instead of a normal interviewing and hiring process, is have you come out one of the next couple of days, and have you kind of follow me or one of the other workers around. To kind of get a feel for things, yeah? That way you know if this is really something you want to commit to for the next couple months, and I get to know if this will work out the way I need it to. If things seem good, then we’ll talk pay and hours and stuff. Sound good?”

Louis finds himself nodding seriously. “Yeah yeah, that sounds just fine! Did you have any idea what day you’d like me to come out?”

There’s a contemplative hum from the other end, and some clicking. “How does tomorrow sound? Do you have another job or any other commitments you’d need to work around?”

“No that sounds great! I ‘aven’t got another job or really anything else to do with me time. I’m all yours.”

Harry chuckles, and Louis immediately likes the sound. It’s deep, just like his speaking voice, and Louis can feel his cheeks heat up. Oh god.

“I think I can live with that. How does eight tomorrow morning sound?”

“That sounds perfect! Thank you Harry.”

“No thank _you_! I look forward to meeting you Louis. If you have any further questions feel free to give us a call.”

For some reason, Louis can feel himself grinning madly, and he hates to hang up, but they exchange goodbyes, and that’s that.

Louis sits a moment, heart fluttering slightly, before shaking his head exasperatedly.

Jesus. For all he knows this Harry person is forty -even if he doesn’t sound it-, married, and has ten kids. With a laugh like that it wouldn’t be surprising. Fuck, for all Louis knows, he could be bald and have a pot belly and rotting teeth.

Best to just leave it be.

When Louis looks at the time again, it’s just past seven, and he laughs softly.

All that before seven in the morning, and he hasn’t even gotten out of bed yet.

\---

_August 25th, 8:00 AM_

When Louis arrives at Stylish Apples, in the red cavalier his uncle has lent him, he has to take a moment to admire the view.

The sun had risen an hour ago, so it’s just now making it’s way up over the top of the apple trees, and is throwing a pink and red blanket over the whole orchard, making it look almost like a painting. As far as he can see, the apple fields start to the North, before looping around to the East, then the South. The only parts of the orchard not covered in apple trees, is the driveway to the West, the field next to it on the North, with that followed by a garden. To the North-East, nestled cozily in between some pine trees, is a large white farmhouse with flowers growing around it, and a shed next to it with a sign hanging on it, announcing the name of the orchard.

It’s picturesque, and Louis loves it already, taking that little bit of time to be smug internally, because when he’d told his aunt about applying, she’d had the nerve to look _amused_.

“Lou I’m not sure that’s really the job you’ll want while you’re here. It’ll be a _lot_ of work.” She’d said, like she was talking to a _child_ , and Louis had -understandably- been indignant.

Unlike what his family -and friends, and colleagues- think, Louis _can_ work. Sure, it isn’t like he’s ever had a job that required physical labor ever in his life, and okay, maybe he was planning on working at the register most of his time here, but he can do it. He’s fully confident that he can handle packing a few bags, or picking a few apples; really, how hard can it be?

He gets lost in thought for a little while, just standing there and staring at the sunrise, so he doesn’t notice that someone’s walking towards him until they’re speaking.

“Lovely isn’t it?” Louis startles slightly, but is able to -thankfully- cover it up as he looks at the person next to him. Whoever it is is _pretty_ , smiling, and they hold out their hand to shake. “You must be Louis, then. Can’t think of any other reason you’d be out here this early.”

Louis takes their hand, smiling back and nodding. “Yeah I’m Louis! Are you Harry?” 

“Nah mate, my name’s Zayn, Harry’s inside, c’mon, he’ll be excited you’re here.” Zayn turns them around, and they begin walking towards the large shed settled in the middle of the yard as he keeps talking. “You’re like, the fourth person to call about the position, and the only one to show up. To be honest, I think Harry was beginning to resign himself to doing most of the picking himself.”

Louis nods understandingly. “I’m glad I called then. What do you do here, if you don’t pick? If you don’t mind me asking.”

Zayn shakes his head, still smiling -jesus christ he’s attractive- and waves his hand in a ‘don’t worry about it’ kind of gesture. “I don’t mind at all. I run the store mostly, keep track of finances, help with the packing a lot, and I try to keep Harry from losing his head, though I’m not always successful.” He rolls his eyes fondly. “I _do_ pick occasionally, but the only time I can ever really spare to do that is in the early mornings before the store opens. After that, I’m either packing or behind the counter, most days I can barely be away from the store for five minutes to grab a bite to eat.” Zayn pauses to open the door of the building, and ushers Louis in. 

“There’s two other guys who work here too, besides me and H. Liam takes care of the gardens, and does the haying; we give hayrides, and have pumpkins that we sell around Halloween, so he’s busier than hell this time of year with weeding and such. And Niall is our main packer. He helps pick too, and helps Liam when he can, but he also keeps track of all of the orders that come in, and takes care of getting those filled out. He could help pick more if he had to, but Harry feels bad making him do that on top of his regular shit. We _did_ have another guy lined up to help us into October, but he broke his leg a couple weeks ago while four wheeling, so that’s why you’re here.” He stops talking, and gestures towards a door in the back of the shop labeled ‘Employees Only’. “I’m gonna go get Harry, you can take a look around if you’d like.”

Louis nods and starts taking in the shop as Zayn leaves. There’s several large padded shelves to his left with bags of apples sitting on them, all with signs above them, saying things like ‘Zestar’, ‘Paula Red’, and ‘Ginger Gold’. Whatever those mean. In between those is a counter with a computer setup on it, and a sign on the front of it that also says “Employees Only”. To his right, there’s a neat row of tables with checkered tablecloths over them, and nicely arranged jars of different jellies, applesauce, and other canned goods. There’s also a row of cookbooks, some baking tools, and apple themed decorations and trinkets. He's just making his way through the cooler stocked with pre-made pies and something called an apple crisp, when the door in the back opens, and through it comes Zayn, closely followed by _a fucking Greek statue what the fuck_.

If Louis had been thinking Zayn was the prettiest man he'd ever seen (which he had), then he was wrong.

So so so so so wrong. Because the man that’s followed Zayn through the door -how is he the _owner_ he barely looks twenty one- has the sharpest cheekbones known to man. He also has a jawline to rival Angelina Jolie’s, biceps probably the size of Louis’ thighs, and hands big enough to wrap around Louis’ thighs. No, he’s not exaggerating. The man also has the prettiest green eyes in the world, and to top it all off, the softest looking hair, tied up in a ponytail. 

He’s also smiling, and Louis decides he could die right now, and he'd be content.

The man is wearing faded blue bootcut jeans, a red, orange, and brown checkered flannel, a pair of well worn work boots, and he’s holding a black snapback in his hands with a TC logo on it. Whatever that stands for.

He’s dressed like a farmer, looks like a model, and it’s distracting enough that the thirty seconds it takes him to cross the room feels like both a lifetime, and two seconds to Louis. Then, the man is in front of him, and grinning widely enough that Louis notices his two front teeth are slightly bigger than the rest, and oh _fuck_ that makes him even more attractive.

“So you must be Louis, then?” Louis nods, and takes the hand the man holds out to shake.

“Y-Yeah that’s me, you’re Harry?”

Harry nods, drops his hand -Louis misses his touch already-, and slides his hand casually into the front pocket of his jeans. Louis definitely doesn’t follow the movement out of the corner of his eye.

“Pleased to meet you, I’m so _so_ grateful to have you, you have no idea, I was beginning to get a little desperate.” He laughs, and Louis can’t help but laugh along with him. And if he’s smiling a little more, and blinking more coyly from here on out, well, who can blame him?

“Well I’m pleased to be here Harry, I’m here visiting my aunt and uncle for the next few months, and to be honest I was about to go mad from boredom.” Harry grins.

“Oh don’t worry about boredom, we’ll keep you plenty busy here, at least for the next couple months anyway. Do you have any experience with this kind of work?”

Louis shakes his head. “Nah mate, I’ve got an office job back home. Not exactly any exertion involved with that.” The corner of Harry’s mouth lifts in a smirk, and he nods again, looking slightly like he knows something Louis doesn’t.

“I can imagine. Well!” He claps his hands together, and turns back to look at Zayn, who’s behind the counter by the computer, and points overenthusiastically at him. “Zayn, love, do you mind taking Louis in back to help out Niall for now? Li is having problems with his tractor again so I have a feeling we’ll be working with that for the next couple hours at least.” Zayn gives him a thumbs up, not looking up from the computer. Harry shakes his head slightly, though he’s smiling, then turns back to Louis, and brings his hands up in a grateful looking praying gesture. “Seriously though, thank you again Louis, you have no idea how much this means. I hope things work out. If you have _any_ questions or concerns or like, anything, please don’t hesitate to ask any of us.” 

Louis smiles back at him, utterly charmed. “I won’t, and I’m glad I can help, anything you need I’m _more_ than willing to do.”

Yeah, he’s laying it on a little thick. He’s gay and Harry’s pretty. Sue him.

Harry, still grinning, turns to go out the front door, pulling a pair of gloves from his back pocket, before turning back to look at Zayn. “Oh hey Zee, almost forgot, I left-”

“The order sheets on the kitchen counter? Got ‘em.”

“Yeah good, and there’s-”

“Seven bushels of zestars in the cooler? Found them, told Niall, they’re being packed now.”

Harry sighs. “What have I said about-”

“Interrupting you? Can’t remember.” Now, Zayn is looking up at Harry, a smirk on his face as he leans across the counter. They stare at each other a few minutes, Louis feeling slightly like he’s intruding, before Harry turns away giggling, and holding up his middle finger as he walks out the door. 

As soon as the door is shut, Zayn starts laughing as well, as he comes from out behind the counter and gestures for Louis to follow him. “Like I said, half my job is remembering the shit he forgets, he’d be lost without me.”

And that’s. Of course.

Louis follows, telling himself he’s _not_ allowed to develop a crush on Harry. Obviously, he and Zayn are in a relationship, and Louis has been in that situation enough to know he doesn’t want to fall for a guy who’s already taken. Messy business, that.

He follows Zayn through the door, and into a room that…….is fucking _huge_.

No like, it’s _enormous_.

There’s a long machine up against one wall, it looks to be about five and a half feet tall, with what looks like a conveyor belt at waist level, with lights shining onto the belt. To the left of the machine is a stack of crates, and to the right there’s a door with a sign above it labeled ‘Cooler’. Zayn walks over to it and opens the door, peeking his head around and saying something to someone on the other side. A moment later, he’s stepping away, and another guy comes through the door, pushing a cart with crates filled with apples on it.

Of course, he’s also bloody attractive, with brown hair and muscles and a smile on his face that looks like it probably never leaves. As the guy approaches, Louis also notices he’s wearing a flannel as well, and Louis is beginning to become concerned that it’s the dress code around here.

The guy is, of course, Niall, and barely two minutes after being introduced, Louis is confident they’re going to be the best of friends. Niall’s got a quick and witty sense of humor, and he’s got Louis laughing right away.

They get right to packing, and Louis quickly figures out that the job is easy enough, but _incredibly_ tedious. Niall’s got him packing what he calls peck bags for the store first, and Louis settles into a routine not long after he starts.

Open the bag, hook the strings on pegs so it stays open, put apples in until it weighs ten pounds, twist the bag strings shut, put bag into a box, and repeat.

Of course, working with Niall, Louis is sure things won’t get too tedious. There’s music playing softly in the background (Green Day, Louis is pleased to realize), and Niall knows how to keep up a conversation. By the time Louis has been there two hours, they’ve covered subjects from family, to football, to food, and finally, the owners of the orchard itself. Niall has just finished telling Louis about the time Zayn had attempted to make a new apple pie recipe -that had resulted in the fire department being called- and Louis feels like he’s going to have a six pack both from all the laughing he’s doing, and all the apple filled crates he’s lifted already.

During that time, the other guys have all been in and out of the back several times, and Louis has officially met Liam as well. Of course, he’s _also_ fucking attractive, which seems to go hand in hand with wearing flannels around here.

He’s also discovered that while Harry’s _not_ twenty one, he's still only twenty six, which means he’s been running the orchard since he was twenty one. Louis is more than a little impressed, because when he was twenty one running a business would _not_ have worked out.

Still giggling about some joke Niall had made, he finally asks the question that he’d been wanting to ask since he met Liam, and discovered that everyone on the orchard was British, except Niall, who was obviously Irish.

“So, bit of an odd question, but how exactly, do three British men and one Irish man come to own an orchard, in Minnesota, with none of you being older than twenty five until recently?”

Niall lets out a loud laugh, which Louis is slowly figuring out is normal. “I was wonderin’ when you were gonna ask. Along with ‘what’s with all the plaid’ that’s the one we get the most.” Louis laughs again, and Niall lifts a crate of apples from the floor and over to his own packing station facing Louis.

“That was my next question honestly, but I want the first question answered before you explain that one.” Niall snorts, and opens a bag with an over exaggerated flourish.

“Alrigh’ so, you know anything about American football teams?” 

Louis grimaces. “Uh. No. Not really.”

“Okay well it’s not that important anyway, all you gotta know is Harry’s a huge fuckin’ packers fan, so six years ago, all of us were workin’ pretty decent jobs y’know? Harry and Liam were working at some tech company, since they’re both bloody geniuses with mechanics and technology, Harry wrote the program we use for the store by the way, and me an’ Zayn had our cushy office jobs. We were a posh bunch really.” Louis lets out a loud ‘ha!’ at that, and Niall just grins. “Shut it. I’m talkin’. So. Lots of money to go ‘round, Harry needed cheerin’ up, so me, Zayn an’ Liam got the three of us tickets to a game, round trip plane tickets, the whole works. Zayn couldn’t get off work so he couldn’ come, but Harry was…” Niall pauses, and rubs at his chin, obviously thinking. “...he wasn’t in a good place you could say, and we wanted to give him somethin’ nice, so we decided me and Li would just bring him to the twin cities for a game, and a week and a half of just chillin’. A holiday, y’know?” Louis nods, as he watches Niall carry a couple bags of apples over to a box. 

“We brought him out, went to the game, packers fuckin’ won of course, the vikings are fuckin’ shit, then spent the next few days exploring. Took a roadtrip up to Duluth, seen the world’s largest twine ball, ate at some weird restaurants, that kinda shit. The fourth day, we were drivin’ through here, and seen the sign for this place. So we stopped because apples sounded good right? Well, we wound up talking to the owner for over two hours -’is name was Paul, real great guy-, and found out it was his last year runnin’ the place. He’d inherited it or some shit, and just didn’ wanna do it anymore, so he was gonna sell it to the first person who offered ‘e said.” 

Niall stops, takes a drink of water, and shrugs. “Me and Liam? Neither of us thought much of it. But Harry, he kept going on and _on_ about it, the whole hour and a half drive back to St. Paul, I was ready to fuckin’ shut him up with one of the apples we’d bought.” Niall’s smiling now, and Louis is certain he’s not serious about the threat. “He dropped it after we got back though, so neither of us even gave it a thought.” There, he laughs. “Two days later, we’re packing up, and Harry disappeared. Just said he was going out for a smoke, and then he was gone. Li and I absolutely _panicked_ mate, thought he’d gotten kidnapped or some shit. Two hours later, he rings me up, and is all ‘Ni I’m at the orchard from a couple days ago, y’remember it right?’, then tells us to just get out there.” He sighs, and shakes his head. “So Liam and I _booked it_ , we got there in less than forty-five minutes, ‘cause the plane was leavin’ in four hours, and we get out there to find Harry’s gone and _bought_ the fuckin’ place. Had been talkin’ to Paul the couple days before that, and he just up and bought the orchard, and everything on it. The house wasn’ bein’ lived in at the time, the garage was nonexistent, and just…..swear to god Liam and I didn’t speak for a good fifteen minutes after he told us.” Louis is sure his eyebrows can’t get any higher, because exactly what kind person just up and buys an _apple orchard_ , in a country they’re not even from? What the fuck?

Niall clears his throat, then continues.

“We yelled at him for probably about an hour I’d say, though thinking back on it, it was mostly because he didn’t tell us where he was instead of the fact that he’d _bought a fuckin’ apple orchard_ , which really goes to show what our priorities are; then he asked if we’d stay with him another couple weeks to get paperwork and shit figured out before going back home. We both said no, because it was just….a lot. So we unloaded Harry’s shit from the rental, and went to go to the airport.” He rolls his eyes. “We made it about halfway there, dead silent the entire time, then Liam just was like ‘Ni….should we…?’, I was just like ‘Yeah.’ Swear to god I was so pissed, and then we turned right back around. When we got back to the orchard, we knocked on the door to the house, and Harry answered, a smirk on his stupid face, a damn apple in his hand -fit in righ’ from day one Lou, he’s fuckin’ _mad_ -, and asked what took us so bloody long.”

Louis barks out a laugh, and Niall shakes his head, looking exasperated. “I hate him sometimes, I really do.”

“That sounds absolutely crazy Ni, how in the hell…..?”

“Wish I fuckin’ knew mate.”

They must be louder than they thought, because the door to the shop opens, and Zayn comes through, looking amused. “Are you two even getting anything done? Or do I have to separate Niall from yet _another_ employee.” He looks over at Louis, and raises an eyebrow. “This happens every time we hire someone.”

Niall lets out an offended gasp, and puts a hand over his heart. “Zayn! You wound me, you know very well the last time was _not_ my fault! Besides, I was just tellin’ Lou here about how we got the orchard, that’s basically my _right_.”

Zayn rolls his eyes, clearly endeared. Louis is beginning to think no one could ever be truly angry with Niall. “‘Ave you finished the story then, yet?”

“Was just gonna get to your part actually.” 

Zayn snorts. “Well, don’t let me stop you, that’s my favorite part.”

Grinning, Niall turns back to Louis, and claps. “Okay, so we made Harry call Zayn to tell him what was goin’ on, seeing as it was his fault and neither of us wanted Z to yell at us,” Louis hears Zayn giggle to himself. “And he said, and I quote, ‘Harry-”

At that moment, Harry and Liam walk in, and, smirk on his face and using an overly-high pitched voice, Harry continues, “-Edward Styles, do you mean to tell me, that my boyfriend is _stuck_ on a fucking orchard, and in order to see him again, I have to come out to the middle of _assfuck nowhere_ , and live on a _fucking apple orchard_?!” By the time he finishes, everyone’s laughing, and Zayn is fighting to look offended. Louis spares a moment to wonder exactly how long Harry and Zayn had been dating at that point for Zayn to just up and move to Minnesota from London for him.

“I do _not_ sound like that!”

Harry shrugs. “I dunno, you sound exactly like that to me.”

“Harry-”

“ _Zayn_ -”

“ _Boys_!” The interrupting party is Liam, who looks a perfect mix of resigned and fond as he gestures at Niall. “Would you let him finish the story just _once_?” Both Harry and Zayn shrug, matching smirks on their faces, and Niall chuckles as Louis nods.

“Right, continue on Irishman, I’m not caught up.”

That earns him a collective giggle from everyone present, and he has a moment to feel proud before Niall continues talking. “Right you’re not, so, anyway! That’s what Zayn said, and a month later, we were all back in London, quitting our jobs, to own an apple orchard instead.” Harry, from where he’s leaning with his back against the wall, looks all too pleased with himself.

“And it’s _all_ because of me.”

Zayn glares at him. “Yeah, we _know_.”

Harry still looks pleased with himself, beautiful green eyes shining, dimple ( _!!!_ ) on his cheek, as he brings a hand up to brush his bottom lip with his thumb. Louis catches himself staring, and even though no one else sees, he feels himself redden.

And isn’t that just fucking great.

\---

The rest of Louis’ day at the orchard is spent learning so much information, he doesn’t quite know what to do with himself. _Apparently_ there are a fuckton of different kinds of apples (which explains the signs above the apples in the store), with all of them having different purposes.Who knew.

He quickly finds out that running the store isn’t the easy job he thought it was going to be, and more often than not, Zayn is in back helping pack in between customers, and getting apples out of the cooler to put on the display just as much as he’s up front ringing people up. There’s also an alarm system rigged up to the driveway, so a high pitched noise rings through the entire building whenever anyone pulls up, and if the first time that goes off Louis almost drops an entire bag of apples, then _no one needs to know about it Niall_.

On top of all of that, when he’s up front with Zayn towards the end of the day to discuss paperwork, he sees Zayn with an absolutely gorgeous and _large_ ring on his finger, and, well. Harry does seem like the type to pick the biggest and the best.

Louis is a little grumpy at the fact that the most attractive person on earth is engaged to the _second_ most attractive person on earth, but there’s nothing to be done for it other than making a point of not developing a crush on Harry. Which Louis fully intends to keep from happening.

Harry and Zayn both seem pleased at the end of the day when they’re telling Louis that he can take the weekend before officially starting on Monday, and their happiness is contagious. Louis goes back to his aunt’s feeling more energetic than he has in _years_ , calls his mum and talks her ear off, and Monday almost seems too far away.

\---

_August 28th: 9:00 A.M._

Louis has never been an early riser, he’d much rather stay in bed until his eyes no longer feel like they’re fighting his brain thank you very much, but he’d be lying if he said he minded being up early for his first official day at the orchard. As he pulls into the long driveway to the orchard, he sees Liam on the tractor out in the field to his left, he waves, and is delighted when Liam waves back.

Once he’s clocked in, he’s maybe more than a little bit hoping he’ll get to work with Niall again, but Harry comes out from the back carrying an odd shaped...bag….looking…..thing, and hands it to him.

“Ready to try picking?”

Louis blinks. “With that?” 

Harry laughs. “Well yeah, gotta have somethin’ to put the apples in don't you?”

“I….guess? But how-um what is it?” 

Harry laughs again -Louis thinks he should feel insulted but it’s so angelic he _can’t_ \- and heads towards the door, gesturing for Louis to follow.

“C’mon city boy, we’re gonna make a pro apple picker out of you yet.” 

Louis huffs, and grudgingly follows Harry out the door, looking sadly back at the shop as he goes.

—

Turns out, the bag-thing is a legit _bag_ that carries half a bushel, and the bottom of it opens to let the apples out without bruising them. It also has straps that have to criss-cross and rest on his back. The actual bag part sits near his belly. Of course, when he’d first put it on it’d sat near his thighs, and Harry had had to tighten the straps for him, snickering the entire time. 

If the bag hadn’t thrown him for a loop, the trees definitely do. When he’d thought about apple picking, he’d thought of the huge apple trees he’d seen in movies, and literally any other normal sized tree.

Instead, all of the apple trees are around six feet tall, and picking from them isn’t _nearly_ as difficult as he’d feared it would be…...until around the second row. Apparently, the first row was started by Harry earlier in the morning, and because he’s an _asshole_ , he’d just picked from the tops. So, seeing as five foot nine -yes, that is his _actual_ height shut up Harry- is too _short_ for reaching the tops where the best apples are, Louis has to use a ladder.

Harry, of course, doesn’t have to, and he makes a big show of reaching an apple from the top of the tree next to Louis’, and taking a huge bite. 

Louis scowls, and throws a half mushy apple at him.

If he has to fight back laughter when Harry makes a big and overly dramatic show of being _disgusted_ , it’s _fine_ , he’s just being friendly, nothing to worry about.

\---

Really though, once Louis gets into it, picking isn’t that bad either. It’s a routine, much like packing, though it involves a lot more exertion than he had expected. If he doesn’t have a six pack by November, he thinks, then he’s definitely going to have to sue someone.

And, as much as Harry is a dick -he’s actually the _worst_ \- he’s actually really easy to talk to, and the next couple hours fly by. By the time Harry says they should take a break, it’s nearly noon, and Louis is shocked to find that he’s in no hurry to be done.

Of course, when they’re sitting in the grass drinking from their water bottles, and eating their apples, Harry decides to be…..Harry again.

“So, are you just gonna keep showing up all….” He gestures at Louis.

Louis’ eyebrows furrow. “What is-” he gestures, mimicking harry “-that supposed to mean?”

Harry shrugs. “Y’know. Fancy shoes, thin shirts, didn’t even grab gloves from the barn, nothin’ to keep your hair out of your face. Y’look like you just came straight outta the cities.” 

Louis huffs. “Just because I’m on an orchard doesn’t mean I have to dress like a hillbilly.”

Harry laughs, a loud, guffawing kind of laugh, and _why_ is Louis so _endeared_ by that??? “Believe me love, this is nowhere _near_ dressing like a hillbilly. Besides, aren’t your feet wet?”

With a scoff, Louis shakes his head. “ _No_ , my feet are fine.” (They’re not, they’ve been wet since he first stepped on the dewy grass earlier) 

Harry has a smirk on his face as he stands, brushing his jeans off as he does, and shrugs. “Okay fine, don’t you have any cuts on your hands? Or your arms? The apple trees aren’t always nice when you’re picking.” 

“Nope! My hands are fine, smooth as can be actually, I’m not wearing any gross gloves.” 

Actually, there are two cuts on his right palm, and a scratch near his left elbow. 

Harry quirks an eyebrow, and holds out a hand to help pull Louis up. Louis accepts, and is ready to pull his right hand away from Harry’s, when Harry suddenly grips tighter, and pulls Louis into him.

Louis gasps, and reaches out his other hand to steady himself. It lands on Harry’s -solid, strong, holy _shit_ \- chest, and it takes him a moment to realize that Harry’s free hand is resting on his side. He can feel a flush rising on his cheeks, and he’s just about to start wondering what the _fuck_ he’s going to do, when Harry flips his hand over, and studies it until he finds the cuts on it. He makes a smug face, and looks down -he’s so _tall_ oh christ- at Louis. He looks like he’s going to say something, or even do something, though he doesn’t for a long moment, and then he’s abruptly stepping away.

Louis nearly -only _nearly_ \- whimpers, and then Harry’s tossing a pair of gloves at him.

“Put these on princess, don’t need your delicate hands being all injured on your first day.”

With that, he turns and grabs his picking bag, and heads down the row to where they’d left off.

Louis just stands there, gloves clutched to his chest where he’d caught them, and breathing much harder than he’ll ever admit to. After a moment, he brings a hand up and feels his cheek, feeling mortified when he realizes it’s still burning

_Princess?_

What the _fuck_.

\---

The rest of the day passes by rather uneventfully, though Louis’ head is spinning.

He’s fairly certain he was just flirted with by a man in a relationship.

A man with a _fiancé_ , no less.

He and Harry finish their respective rows fairly quickly, and Louis makes a conscious effort to be literally zero percent flirtatious. He’s _not_ going to get caught up with someone who’s engaged, and he actually _likes_ Zayn, he doesn’t want to do that to him.

Part of him is disappointed though, because he doesn’t want to think that Harry’s the type of person to flirt like _that_ with someone who’s not his fiance.

He sighs, rubbing his hand over his face as he walks back from the apple trees to the shop. He’s been here literally two days. _Two fucking days_.

When he gets back to the shop, no one’s up front, and when he gets into the packing room, Zayn, Liam and Niall are all at separate packing stations, singing along loudly to Tubthumping.

Louis snickers, and watches for a few seconds, before joining in. When the rest of the guys notice him, they all let out a simultaneous and gleeful ‘ _aaay_!’ before continuing on.

Louis jumps right in and stands across from Niall as he starts packing, and his turmoil from before is quickly forgotten.

\---

_August 29th_

The next day, Harry’s just finishing up the last of the Ginger Golds from the day before, so Louis is helping Niall and Zayn in the store.

He’d decided to forget about the incident from the day before, because he doesn’t really _know_ Harry. From what he can tell, it seems like Harry’s a pretty flirtatious person, so he probably didn’t mean anything by what he’d said.

Or done.

Anyway, the day goes by slowly, with nothing happening other than Zayn getting continually more frustrated with pretty much everything.

At one point, he looks like he’s ready to yell at a customer -who, granted, was being kind of a dick-, but luckily Niall’s able to step in and help out before anything gets nasty. Zayn heads into the office off to the side of the shop to cool off, and Louis waits until the customer leaves before asking what’s up.

Niall just shrugs. “Dunno mate, he came in today kinda quiet, but I have no idea what’s going on.” He sighs. “He’s just stressed, ‘m pretty sure.” 

Louis scrunches his eyebrows. “Stressed?”

Niall nods, and plops down onto the stool behind the counter. “Yeah man, business shit, y’know?” He shrugs, looking more tired than Louis thinks Niall should ever be allowed to look. “We’ve only been at this five-ish years, it’s….we’re still trying to figure it _out_ , and it just gets to be a lot sometimes.”

He makes a face. “I’ve just been trying to keep Harry out of the store all day; I’d rather not have to deal with their passive aggressive fighting today.”

Louis winces. Maybe things aren’t that great in engagement-land. “Are they that bad?” 

Niall shrugs. “It’s not _awful_ when they’re just mildly upset and not actually _angry_ , it’s just annoying y’know? They start bickering and you’d swear they’ve been together fifty years instead of like, twenty.”

Louis huffs out a laugh, then turns back to the canned goods he’d been sticking price stickers on, and Niall continues.

“You should hear them _really_ fight though, man. They get going and they can go for _hours_ , just tossing insults back and forth. It’d be worrying if I didn’t know they’d wind up in Harry’s living room later smoking up while having stupidly deep discussions about life.”

Louis nearly chokes on nothing, and turns to Niall, eyes wide. “Wait you guys…..”

Niall throws his head back, laughing. “Jesus, please don’t tell me you’re against pot. Of course we do occasionally; we’re in our twenties, live in the middle of nowhere, and have a job that requires de-stressing. Getting high once in awhile is kind of a given mate.”

Louis gapes, then starts shaking his head, pretending to be disappointed even as a grin grows on his face. “And here the whole town thinks you guys are such _angels_ , even me uncle thinks you’re gifts from god.”

It’s true, any time any of the guys are mentioned, his uncle always has some story about the time Harry helped him with his field work one year and didn’t ask for anything in return. Or how Liam will fix any vehicle anyone asks him to and all he asks in return is they visit the orchard. 

And if he doesn’t have a story, his aunt will definitely have one about Zayn volunteering at any local fundraiser he can, bless his soul. Or how Niall makes it his duty to be friends with all the little old widows in the coffee shop, and regularly visits with them over their afternoon coffee.

The whole lot of them have the entire town wrapped around their fingers.

Niall snorts, and grabs an apple crate to carry into the back. “Lou, all four of us are some form of gay, we get high when the occasion calls for it, and we all cuss like sailors, the _last_ thing any of us are, is a fuckin’ gift from god.” Louis belts out laughing, feeling lighter than he’s ever felt as he replies.

“Make that the five of us Nialler, on all accounts.” 

Niall grins, and nods. “Good, not sure how I’d feel about working with a hetero.”

Louis just laughs, feeling like he may be onto something good here.

\---

The next couple days pass by relatively the same, though there’s an ease that wasn’t there before, that Louis definitely knows is because of the conversation he and Niall had the day before. Obviously, Niall being Niall, he’s told the rest of the guys about Louis’ admission, and it’s noticeable with how the comfort levels -which were already high to begin with- have risen. 

Niall and Zayn put him to work packing, and for a few hours one day, he also helps Liam stack and move things around in the cooler.

He’s getting the hang of things, even the manual labor, and by the time the end of the week rolls around, and he doesn’t have to be back until Monday, he’s almost sad.

Before he leaves Friday, Harry pulls him aside and thanks him earnestly for all his help. Louis somehow manages to keep his cool in the face of Harry’s stupidly beautiful face, but he does, and then Harry _hugs him_. Louis is basically in a daze, and more than a little disappointed he has to wait until _Monday_ to see him again.

He feels kind of bad though, because he’s basically ignored his aunt and uncle the entire week, but now his cousins are home, and he’s going to take the weekend to spend time with them.

A few times, he catches his aunt looking at him oddly, but decides to shrug it off. He feels good, happy, and lighter than he’s honestly felt in _years_ , and if she feels weird about it, that’s her problem to deal with.

\---

_September 4th 8:00 A.M._

When Louis arrives on Monday, he’s met with Zayn telling him that he and Harry will start picking for their next wholesale order, which is for thirty bushels of honeycrisp apples, the next day. So, it’s Louis’ lucky day, and he gets to help Liam bale hay for the hayrides they do the couple weeks leading up to Halloween.

Louis stares at Zayn for a good thirty seconds after he says it, his mind flashing to the one day the week before when he had explained exactly how much work goes into the baling, and Zayn just smirks and tosses a pair of work gloves at him. Gross, smelly work gloves that are _definitely_ too big for Louis.

“Have fun, I’ll be thinking of you.” Louis just groans, and exits the shop to the sound of Zayn’s mocking laughter.

Louis huffs. Maybe he and Harry _are_ a perfect couple, because they’re both _assholes_.

\---

When Louis gets out to the field, Liam greets him with an enthusiastic wave and a grin that makes him look so much like a puppy, that Louis literally _can’t_ be grumpy with him.

“Morning Lou, ready to work?” Louis laughs.

“I dunno, doesn’t exactly sound like a picnic does it?” Liam shrugs.

“It’s not that bad, Zayn’s just dramatic about it. Besides, we’re not going to be baling for a couple hours yet, gotta wait for the hay to dry off from the dew.

“Sooo what are we gonna do in the meantime?”

Now, Liam grins, in a way that’s nearly identical to Harry’s, and Louis is once again reminded of how long all these dickheads have been friends. “We’re going to dig potatoes.”

\---

Digging potatoes, Louis decides, is the absolute _worst job_ in the entire world.

He’s got his vans all full of mud, the knees of his basically new Stella McCartney jeans are almost definitely stained, and if he sees another bug of any kind he’s going to actually die. Of course, Liam is chattering the entire time, and Louis is actually endeared. He’s talking about his sister Ruth currently, and before that had been talking about his dog. Louis is kind of amazed because Liam looks like he should be less, well, sweet. What with all the bulging muscles and his fucking jawline.

Louis mentally groans. Fuck is he gay.

Around ten, Louis is ready to just tell Liam he’s done with potatoes for the day -or the rest of his life, whatever, he’s putting his foot _down_ \- when he sees Harry walking across the hay field towards them. 

And yes, he knows it’s Harry immediately. Even though all he can really make out is the vague shape of a person. He hates himself, truly.

When Harry reaches them, he’s got a smile on his face, jeans that leave nothing to the imagination on, and, just like Liam, a muscle tee. The day is literally trying to kill Louis. 

Harry throws Louis a smile, and a ‘morning princess’, before turning to Liam. “Ready to get moving then? I just checked the rows and they’re completely dry.” Liam nods, and stands up, brushing his jeans off.

“Yeah we’re ready,” He looks over at Louis, and grins. “Louis’ probably more than ready to be done with potatoes.” Harry giggles, and Louis groans, and stands as well.

“I hate both of you, I really do.” Harry giggles again, and throws his arm over Louis’ shoulders as they start walking over to the hay field, where the tractor is sitting with a big, odd looking machine hitched behind it, and wagon hitched behind that.

“Aww no you don’t, at least, you don’t hate Liam. No one can hate Liam, look at that sexy fuck.” Liam throws him an unimpressed look, and flips him off. Obviously, that doesn’t affect Harry in the slightest, and he just keeps grinning. “I’ve got an incredibly important question though, you ready for it?”

Louis just raises his eyebrows at him, more than convinced that the question is not going to be in any way important. Harry just keeps grinning, and Louis thinks back to what Niall had told him on his first day, and agrees. Harry is _absolutely_ mad. 

“So, obviously, since you’re absolutely tiny-” He ignores the offended noise Louis makes, “-I’m going to assume you don’t particularly want to stack the bales, which brings about the question, do you know how to drive a tractor?”

They come to a stop in front of the tractor, a blue thing with no top that looks way more intimidating than Louis wants to admit. He makes a face.

“Um. No, I do not.”

Harry just nods, absolutely no surprise on his face. “I figured, so, do you wanna learn how? Or would you rather just stack the bales and suffer through Liam or me stacking four to your one?”

Louis makes another offended noise, and smacks Harry’s shoulder. “ _Harold_.”

Harry shrugs, and pulls his arm away from Louis. Louis won’t admit he misses it. Nope.

“I’ll take that as you wanting to drive?” 

Louis sighs. “Fine, I’ll drive the bloody tractor.”

Harry, because he’s an absolute _shit_ , gestures towards the tractor dramatically, and bows. “Your carriage awaits your highness.”

Louis huffs, trying valiantly to keep from smiling as he climbs up onto the tractor. “You’re such a dick Styles, why does everyone like you so much.”

Harry follows him up, taking his snapback and turning it backwards as he does. “Because I’m just _that_ charming, love. Now, let’s get moving before Liam starts yelling at me.”

He turns, and yells to Liam, who’s sitting on the edge of the wagon. “Y’alright Liam?” Liam nods.

“Let’s get moving H, before it gets hot out.” Harry waves, and turns back to Louis.

“Okay princess, let’s get a move on.” He reaches past Louis, and turns the key; the tractor starts up, loud and shaking and _how the fuck_ is Louis supposed to do this?!

“Um...Harry…” He gives Harry an unsure look, his hands held just off the steering wheel like he’s afraid it’ll bite him, and Harry hushes him.

“You’re alright love, ‘s just like a car; the biggest difference is you’re just gonna have to make some wide turns.” He points at Louis’ right foot. “There’s your gas, and the brakes, just like in a car.” He points to a big pole sticking out of the floor to Louis’ right, that looks like it moves in a zig-zag pattern, with numbers on the end of each spot it moves to. “There’s how you shift gears, you’ll just wanna keep it in second, don’t wanna go too fast on me and Li.” He points to another stick to the left of the steering wheel, that moves up and down. “That’s your general speed, just keep it right in the middle.” Then he gestures at a lever to Louis’ left. “And that, is how you turn the baler on.” He looks at Louis, who’s staring at him with a mildly terrified look.

“Love you’ll be just fine, I’ll stay with you the first couple rounds, get the speeds all adjusted for you, and after that, just stomp on the brakes and I’ll be right here to help you, yeah?”

Louis nods, still more than a little unsure. “Okay...just don’t like, get pissed if anything breaks?” He laughs a bit, trying to play off his nerves.

Harry just smiles at him, and it’s such a sweet smile Louis has to take a moment to forget how to breathe, then reaches up and brushes Louis’ fringe away from his eyes.

Louis’ heart nearly stops.

“You’ll do wonderful love, I promise.”

He waits a beat for Louis to nod, absolutely captivated, then turns back to Liam and gives a thumbs up. He waits for Liam to mirror the gesture, then nods at Louis. “Alright, turn the baler on, turn around and wait for Liam to adjust it, and then you’re gonna shift into gear, and go.”

Louis nods, and does as he says, mildly surprised when the baler just starts up instead of the whole thing blowing up.

Harry helps him with the first couple rows of hay, like he said he would, coaching him through the wide turns, and waits for him to get a little more comfortable, before hopping down from the tractor to get onto the wagon to help Liam stack. 

It’s nerve wracking again after Harry leaves, but Louis does what Harry told him to, and it’s all fine. Things are working better than he thought they would, and eventually he’s comfortable enough to start turning in his seat to check behind him to make sure things are running smoothly like Harry had told him he should. Each time, he has to practically tear his eyes away to keep going in a straight line, because each time Harry lifts a bale, the muscles in his arms bulge, and there’s sweat slowly forming on his neck, and he looks like every wet dream Louis has ever had but _better_.

Louis is beginning to think he might not survive the next several months.

\---


	2. Chapter 2

_September 5th, 6:00 A.M._

When Louis steps into the shop, he just freezes and stares, because the back of the shop is opened, directly into the packing room.

It’s just. Open, and Louis realizes for the first time how _huge_ the building is.

He sees Liam, coming out of the cooler, and walks over to him, pointing at where the wall usually is.

“Um, Li?” Liam looks at where he’s pointing, and laughs. 

“Oh yeah, that part of the building actually moves over.” He points over to the cooler section of the room, and Louis sees that the wall is actually a big sliding door, that’s moved over to cover the cooler wall. He stares for a couple seconds, then turns back to Liam.

“Um. Why?”

“We’ve got thirty bushels of apples to pack, the machine’s going to be running, and Harry and I are going to be picking so that you can stay here and help Niall. Zayn needs to be in back here helping you and Ni with the packing as well, and this way, if anyone comes in he won’t have to be trying to hear the driveway alarm over the machine, or moving away until he absolutely _has_ to.”

Louis nods. “Huh. Makes sense. A warning would’ve been nice though, y’know?” Liam laughs again, and claps him on the back.

“Right, next time we’ll make sure to tell you that the wall moves. Wouldn’t want to shock you too much.”

“Much appreciated Liam, thank you.”

Just then, Harry walks in, talking on the phone with his brow furrowed.

“-no no that’s fine, we’ll do that. Thank you. Yeah, bye.” 

He hangs up, pinches the bridge of his nose, then sighs.

Liam sighs too -should Louis sigh next? Is this a ritual?- then crosses his arms.

“Was that the manager?” Harry nods, still pinching the bridge of his nose, his eyes closed.

“Yup.”

“They changed their order didn’t they?”

Harry sighs again, then brings his head up, and nods. “Yeah. They want forty five bushels now, instead of thirty.”

Liam groans, and Harry throws Louis a smile and an eyebrow wiggle. “Ready for a long day princess? You’re gonna have to pack like your life depends on it.”

Louis glares at him. “Wow, even when you’re stressed you’re a dick.”

Harry’s grin widens, and out of the corner of his eye, Louis sees Liam rolling his eyes and walking away. Whatever.

“ _Princess_ , I’m always a dick, me being stressed just makes it a form of stress relief.” 

Louis can feel a smile threatening to break through, but he fights it back. “Maybe if you were less of a dick your customers wouldn’t change their orders on you last minute.”

Harry brings a hand up to his heart, acting offended through the obvious smile on his face. “Lou, baby, you wound me!” Louis can’t fight his own smile anymore, even as he fights back a flustered blush. _Baby_. He puts his hands on his hips.

“Good, maybe if I’m mean enough you’ll _behave_.”

Harry opens his mouth, obviously going to retort, but just then, Zayn storms through the door.

“Harry Edward _Styles_!”

Louis groans inwardly. Fuck. Harry’s fiancé. Right. Fuck.

Harry makes a goofy face at Louis, clearly not taking Zayn seriously, then turns to him. “Yes dearest?”

Zayn crosses the room quicker than he probably should be able to, so he’s in front of Harry, which is when he chooses to wave a piece of paper in his face. “What the _fuck_ is this?!”

Harry shrugs. “Dunno, I can’t read it when you’re waving it around like that. Is it our divorce papers?”

Zayn scowls, and smacks the paper at Harry’s chest. “ _No_ , it’s not fucking-It’s the order sheet you got from _another_ client that you _somehow_ forgot to mention to me! Harry!”

Harry rolls his eyes. “Z stop being so dramatic! The order isn’t needed until next week, and I was literally going to say something about it today!”

“Harry the email was sent on _Friday_! How did you go all weekend-”

“I forgot about it! Stop biting my bloody ‘ead off!”

Zayn sucks in a breath, his jaw clenched. “You _forgot_ about? Oh please, forgive me! I’m so sorry for getting mad at you for _forgetting_ about an order, that I just might need to know about!”

Louis moves his hand in a half wave. “Um….guys?”

Harry groans in exasperation, completely ignoring him. “I just remembered it this morning, it’s _fine_ and I was going to say something about it later today!”

Louis sees Zayn’s jaw tense, and he flinches, beginning to think he should be looking for a way out. Briefly he remembers what Niall had said about them fighting, and he’s beginning to see why he’d been so desperate to prevent it happening.

Harry must see the same thing Louis does, because he immediately brings his hands up, in a placating gesture.

“Z…”

“Oh don’t fucking ‘ _Z_ ’’ me! This shit can’t happen Harry! We barely have a reputation and something like this could _ruin_ it and-”

“You’re really being incredibly dramatic, it’s not-”

“I swear to god Harry! Do you want me to fucking leave!”

Louis’ eyes widen at that. Well _shit_. He reaches for his phone, trying not to draw attention to himself. He quickly finds his texts with Niall, and texts him ‘sos, h n z are fighting, pls save me’ before tuning back into the argument.

Harry’s currently gesturing with his hands, and _now_ he looks genuinely upset.

“-have to bring that up every fucking time!? You know you didn’t _have_ to come live out here!”

“Oh please! If I hadn’t you’d have cried and begged and-”

“That’s fucking rich! You practically had your bags packed as soon as I called you!”

“If you _actually_ fucking think-”

At that moment, both Niall and Liam come through the door, both of them already looking resigned. When Niall looks over at Louis, he gives him his most pitiful ‘save me’ look, and Niall’s face twists into almost a laugh.

Liam is nearing Harry and Zayn and as he nears them, Harry turns to look at him, a scowl on his face. “Liam! Fucking tell him to quit yelling at me!”

Zayn turns too. “Liam, don’t you fucking _dare_.”

If Harry or Zayn had spoken to _Louis_ like that, he’d have run away. So he’s more than a little impressed when Liam just rolls his eyes. “Shut up Zayn, what are you yelling at him about?”

Zayn thrusts the paper at Liam, then crosses his arms. Liam raises his eyebrows, then reads it. A moment later, he looks up at Harry. 

“Did you forget about this?” Harry nods, but doesn’t say anything. Liam sighs, then turns back to Zayn.

“Zayn, love, you know this isn’t needed until the end of next week…..” Zayn looks ready to fight more, and Liam holds up a hand. “ _Stop it_ , you know you’re being unfair. And Harry shouldn’t have forgotten about it-” He throws a pointed look at him, then continues. “-but you’re both adults. Would you _please_ act like it.” 

Zayn and Harry both stand there, arms crossed. Liam sighs. “C’mon guys, we’ve got shit to do. Call a truce until later tonight.” They both nod, still glaring.

Niall, next to Louis, sighs in relief as Harry turns away to go out the side door, and Zayn turns and walks out the front door. Liam groans, and turns to Louis.

“Sorry about that Lou, they’ve both been tense lately.” Louis gives him a sympathetic look.

“It’s fine, they’ve both been a bit on edge lately so I suppose it was bound to happen.”

Niall nods. “Yeah, this is our busiest time of year. We’re all tired and trying to figure shit out yet, and it’s just. A lot. Liam and I deal with it by becoming basically robots on bad days, and those two….”

Louis cocks an eyebrow. “Yell?”

Niall laughs. “Yup. Usually at each other, which I can’t say I’m upset about. They’ll be over it soon though, don’t worry.”

Louis laughs too, just glad the tension has left the building for now, and Niall goes to lower an apple bin from a few days ago into the water at the end of the machine, and gets ready to start the machine up. Liam grabs a picking bag for himself and one for Harry as he heads out the way Zayn did, and Louis goes to his official (unofficial) packing station. He gets the little grocery store apple bags set up, and prepares himself for what is looking to be a long ass day.

\---

Ten minutes into packing, Zayn comes back into the shop, looking a lot calmer, if quieter. He goes to his own station, and starts packing as well.

Twenty five bushels later, they’ve finished two apple bins, and Niall shuts the machine off, telling them it’s time for a break. Louis has never felt more grateful, and he stretches for the first time in probably two hours, wincing when his back pops. He takes a quick drink of water, then looks over at where Zayn has gone to stand behind his counter, looking at the computer and most definitely moping.

Setting his water bottle down, he goes over to Zayn, props his head up on his hands, his elbows on the counter, and flutters his eyelashes. “Zaaaaaaynie. Zayn. Zeeeeee.” 

Zayn glances over at him from the computer screen, and gives him a look. “What Louis.”

Louis shrugs. “Nothin’ what’re you doin’?” When Zayn just sighs, Louis stands up and moves around the counter, then pushes himself up so he’s sitting on it. “You okay?”

Zayn looks up at him, and gives him a one shouldered shrugs. “Yeah. Just don’t like fighting with Harry. Even when he’s a dick.”

Louis’ heart breaks a little.

“Oh love, I’m sorry. I’m sure you guys’ll make up soon, yeah?” 

Zayn nods, but doesn’t say anything, and he still looks so fucking _sad_ that Louis holds his arms open. He blames the older brother instinct. “C’mon then, let’s have a cuddle.”

He’s more than a little pleased when Zayn doesn’t fight it, just cuddles into it, and he does his best to make it the best damn hug Zayn’s ever had.

A moment later, the shop door opens, and Liam comes striding in, making a beeline for the counter. He stops short when he sees Louis and Zayn’s position. 

He just stares, and Louis gives him a grin. “Hi Li.”

Liam raises his eyebrows, and his gaze flickers down from Louis’ face to Zayn’s, where he’s peeking over Louis’ shoulder.

“Um. What’re you two doing?” Louis feels Zayn smile against his shoulder before he speaks.

“Just havin’ a cuddle, did you need something, love?” 

Liam nods. “Yeah actually, Z did you wanna step outside a moment?” Louis feels Zayn nod, then he pulls away.

“You don’t mind watching the store do you?” 

Louis shakes his head. “Nah mate, go have a chat I’ll be fine.”

Zayn grins, and leans up to plant a wet sloppy kiss on Louis’ cheek. “Thanks Lou, you’re the best.”

He goes around the counter, and starts leading Liam out of the shop. As they go out the door, Liam gives him another odd look. Louis just shrugs at him.

\---

The rest of the day goes by just fine, if a little tense, though Louis doesn’t see Harry again for the rest of it. Zayn seems to be in better spirits though, after his talk with Liam, and Niall had gone off at one point to seek Harry out.

When Louis gets in his car to leave at the end of the day, he sees Harry and Zayn on the front porch of Harry’s house, talking. As he leaves he sees them hugging in his rearview mirror, though, and he’s glad they’ve found a way to work themselves out. 

Like his mum always says, it’s best not to go to bed angry. Especially not with your significant other, he supposes.

—

_September 6th, 9:30 A.M._

Louis huffs as he lowers himself to the ground, and sets his picking bag next to him. He’s absolutely _sick_ of this row of honeycrisps, because the trees are Harry’s oldest, meaning they’re the tallest trees he’s had to pick from yet. That apparently means the apples are _big_ , so he literally can only pick one at a time if he wants to keep from dropping any. 

He’s been picking an hour and a half now, and his right arm is already bleeding in three spots, even though he’s wearing a hoodie. On top of that, since the apples _are_ so big, they fill his bag quick enough that he’s climbing up and down the ladder more than he wants to be. And on top of _that_ , when he’d gotten out to the orchard, Harry and Liam had been gone already to deliver the apples they’d managed to get packed the day before; so not _only_ has he been picking an hour and a half in their tallest trees, he’s _also_ been picking by himself.

He huffs again, peels off his shoes, and sets them in the sun.

They’re fucking _wet_ is the thing, and uncomfortable, and he’s beginning to get athlete’s foot. 

_So_ , he’s having an absolutely miserable day.

Then, Harry shows up.

It should be embarrassing really, how quickly Louis’ spirits lift as soon as he sees Harry ambling casually down the row towards him. Today, he’s wearing the usual flannel (this one blue, black and gray checkered), carhartt boots, and plain blue jeans. Today though, he’s got the flannel unbuttoned, a black shirt under it that says ‘women are smarter’ in white on it, and a fucking black, wide brimmed hat on his head to top it all off.

The outfit should _not_ work, and _yet_.

When Harry reaches him, he’s already grinning at him, and with the gum he’s also chewing, it makes him look like a jackass. Louis tells him exactly that, and Harry just continues to grin, and gestures at Louis’ shoes.

“I may be a jackass, but at least my feet aren’t wet.”

Louis scowls, and grabs his shoes, putting them back on stubbornly even though they’re still wet. Whatever.

“Y’know, it might be a good idea for you to invest in some decent clothes for working. Boots’ll keep the athlete’s foot at bay, and gloves your size and a flannel will keep your arms from looking like you’ve dug through a thistle patch.” At Louis’ glare, he just shrugs. “ _What_? You think I dress this way as a fashion statement?”

Louis just snorts, and he shakes his head. “Yeah no, _not_ gonna happen. I like my clothes, and if you’re so determined for me to wear what you call clothes, you’re just going to have to supply them yourself.” He’s close to caving actually, because the idea of dry feet and no scratches sounds lovely, but Harry absolutely can’t know that.

At that, Harry throws back his head, laughing, and as he walks by Louis’ spot on the ground, he ruffles his hair. Louis gasps, affronted, and slaps his hand away. “Fuck off curly!”

Harry just keeps walking, giggling as he does, and Louis is in so so fucking deep.

He sighs, trying to calm his dumb heart, and gets back to work.

\---

_September 7th, 8:00 A.M._

The next day, Louis pulls into his usual parking spot around the back of the shed, and as soon as he does, he sees Harry walking towards him from the direction of his house. That, in and of itself is odd, just because Harry’s usually out picking even before Louis gets there (he’d asked Liam one day when Harry wakes up in the morning, and Liam had just laughed and said he doesn’t think Harry can sleep past five anymore), so Louis is maybe a little bit concerned.

However, when Harry reaches him, he’s got his familiar smirk on his face, and as soon as Louis is out of his car, he’s tossing something at him.

It’s a bloody flannel.

Scratch _that_ , it’s one of _Harry’s_ bloody flannels. 

To be exact, it’s his black and gray one that Louis has seen him wear multiple times, and now he unmistakably wants Louis to wear it.

Louis can _feel_ the blush working its way up his neck -can _literally_ feel it-, and he does his absolute best to avoid eye contact with Harry’s pleased face.

“Um. What’s this?”

“It’s your new work uniform.”

Now, Louis looks at him, and glares. Harry just shrugs at him. “Sorry, ‘m your boss, you have to wear it because I say so.”

Louis continues to glare at him, and holds the flannel back out at him. “Yeah see, now I want to wear it even _less_ than I wanted to before. I’m gonna go to Zayn.”

Harry gasps, and pretends to look scared. “Oh my god not _Zayn_ , I’m so scared of him, how could you even threaten me with such a thing?!”

Louis rolls his eyes, and crosses his arms (still holding the flannel). “Could you at least _try_ and be a normal human being for once? It isn’t even ten A.M. yet!” Harry pretends to consider it, then takes a step closer to Louis -too close too close _too fucking close_ \- and takes ahold of a bit of the flannel. 

“Put it on princess, and I’ll not only try to behave, I’ll even carry your picking bag out to the field for you today.” 

And Louis is…...definitely blushing now. Full on, red cheeks, tips of his ears, all down to his chest probably. It’s just like when he was in his last year of high school and his new maths teacher was the hottest thing he’d ever seen.

Seventeen year old Louis could never have dreamed up Harry Styles and his stupid dimples if he tried.

Harry is looking at him expectantly, and Louis clears his throat, then slowly unfolds his arms. “Well, if you um. If you promise to behave.” Harry’s smile widens, and he takes the flannel from Louis, and Louis has a moment to be slightly confused, before he realizes Harry’s going to help him put it on.

Oh fuck, kill him now.

Harry helps Louis into _his_ flannel, buttons and rolls the sleeves up, then takes a step back, grinning proudly.

“ _There,_ , now you’re officially part of the Stylish Apples Family.”

Louis would retort, _would_ say something witty, but.

He just grins happily instead, feeling more and more like a lovesick fool than is probably healthy.

It’s not until he and Harry are walking out to the apple fields, Harry carrying Louis’ picking bag for him like a perfect gentleman for once, that he remembers the ring firmly on Zayn’s finger.

\---

_September 7th, 7:00 P.M._

Louis is…..in Walmart.

He is in Walmart, shopping for what all the guys keep calling ‘work appropriate clothes’.

He’s not happy about it.

Walmart isn’t generally the kind of place he would shop, but it’s where his aunt had sent him after he’d gone to her, bashfully telling her what he needed. She had looked more than a little proud, which was odd considering he was asking about ugly boots, but he figures he may as well just let her have it.

“Go find some boots at Walmart, and some gloves you like. They’re not going to be good quality, but I’d rather you find a brand you like there first before going all out and buying something overly expensive that you hate.” She’d said.

Well, he figures, if anyone’s going to know about this kind of stuff, it’ll be his aunt. 

Because he’s _not_ going to ask Liam, or Zayn, or Niall, or _god forbid_ , Harry.

Eventually, after finding a pair of boots that feel decent -they're a size nine and no one can ever know-, and a pair of gloves that look like what he’s been using but are actually the size of his hands instead of Harry or Liam’s, he winds up in the men’s sections, in front of the flannels.

He stands in front of them, strongly debating for a good five minutes, before deciding _no_ , he’s going to be petty.

If Harry’s going to make him wear flannels, then Harry’s going to damn well supply them.

\---

_September 8th_

When Louis walks into the store wearing his boots and carrying his gloves, Zayn and Niall both start cheering -even though there are three customers in the store- and Louis has to go hide in the back until they calm down.

After they calm down, he comes back up front -that’s a lie, they send Liam to fetch him-, and faces their over enthusiastic reactions to ugly boots and gloves.

The way they’re acting, you’d think he just walked off the runway, jesus _christ_.

A few minutes later, Harry also walks in, and though he doesn’t say anything mocking like Louis was expecting, he does compliment his brand choice. Which, so what if they’re both wearing carhartt? 

Louis _liked_ the carhartt boots the most. Really.

Later though, when they’re walking out to where the sweet sixteen trees are, Harry pulls a flannel out of his picking bag -which is next to Louis’, because Harry is carrying Louis’ for him again-, and hands it to him.

“Seen you must’ve forgotten to buy any of these, gotta keep your delicate arms protected too.” Louis glares at him, but puts it on without a word.

Harry looks pleased again, and that’s all that matters.

\---

The weekend both flies by, and goes by too slowly.

He’s able to sleep in, and though he doesn’t actually sleep past seven once, he stays in bed until at least ten. 

The week _also_ flies by, between trying to keep up with the demand for honeycrisps both in-store, and the different clients from different grocery store chains ordering bushels at a time. 

On top of that, the weather has started getting chillier, and Harry’s begun to give Louis an oversized jacket to cover the flannels he also continues to give him.

Along with the weather getting colder, Louis is also slowly beginning to feel guiltier and guiltier.

It’s just. Harry _keeps flirting_.

He keeps calling him princess, giving him his clothes, and halfway through the second week of September, he begins to wrap his arm around Louis’ waist as they chat on the walk to the apple fields. He’s also carrying his picking bag for him every day.

On the thirteenth, they celebrate Niall’s birthday. Liam brings a guitar shaped cake into the store over their lunch break, and Harry literally feeds Louis a bite of his own piece because he claims he doesn’t like all the frosting on it.

Louis is beginning to lose sleep over this shit.

He realizes, one day picking by himself, that if Harry _does_ try anything more than pet names, he’s going to have to either say something or quit. He’ll something probably, Zayn deserves so much better. A moment later, his heart freezes in his chest.

Because he’s just realized that if Harry _did_ try something, he’s not entirely sure he’d want to stop him.


	3. Chapter 3

_September 19th, 1:00 P.M._

Louis takes a bite of the sweet sixteen he’d grabbed from the cooler after putting his picking bag away, and heads out the front door of the store. He and Harry had just finished filling a bin, and now Zayn is driving the tractor out to the fields to get it and bring it in, so the apples can be packed into their latest order. 

When he gets outside, he sees Liam standing on the side of the path out to the fields, also eating an apple. Harry and Niall must still be doing whatever it is they went to do over lunch (most likely sneaking a couple of beers) so Louis moves over towards Liam. When he joins him, Liam grins at Louis’ choice of post-lunch snack -Zayn had made them all sandwiches for lunch today, what a gem-, and holds up his own in a ‘cheers’ gesture.

“Beautiful day isn’t? Always makes the apples taste better.”

Louis chuckles at the joke, but has to agree. “If you’d have said that to me a month ago, I’d have thought you were crazy y’know.” 

Liam laughs along with him, and then they fall into a companionable silence, enjoying being able to just stand and breathe for the first time in what feels like a week and a half. A few minutes later, they hear the tractor starting up from the garage attached to the shed, and soon after that, they can see it nearing them, Zayn lounging back in the seat.

As he drives by, he grins in Liam and Louis’ direction, and gives them a little two fingered salute that Louis has noticed all the guys have no doubt picked up from Harry. Along with the prayer hands.

God Harry is weird.

As they watch Zayn drive away, Liam sighs. “Fuck, doesn’t he just look beautiful driving that tractor?”

Louis blinks, and gives Liam a confused look. In his experience, you didn’t just go around calling other men’s fiance’s _beautiful_ out loud, whether it’s true or not. Which it certainly is. Liam doesn't seem to take notice of him, however, and just continues talking.

“Taught him how to drive her almost right after he came out here, took the poor dove nearly a week to get a hang of it, but he’s a pro now.” Now, he looks like he’s waiting for a reaction, so Louis laughs uncomfortably.

“I think it took me longer than a week, so.”

Liam laughs too, and reaches around to pat Louis’ shoulder. “Sounds about right, he’d never seen a tractor before we moved out here either. Lived in the city his whole live, and didn’t have the privilege of having family who owned a farm like I did. Don’t think he’d ever even really seen a farm honestly.” He goes quiet then, and gets a fond little smile on his face. “I still sometimes can’t believe he moved all the way out here to be with me y’know? Think that was when I knew I _had_ to marry him.”

Louis blinks. Then blinks again.

Fucking _what_?

 _Liam_ is marrying Zayn?

 _Liam_? 

Oh. 

Louis blinks again, and tries not to let on that his _entire world_ is literally rearranging itself in front of his very eyes.

 _Liam is engaged to Zayn_.

Which means that Zayn is _not_ engaged to Harry.

Oh my god. 

Louis somehow manages to give Liam what he hopes is a convincing ‘I’m so happy for you!’ smile, but is saved from having to verbally answer by Niall running up from somewhere behind him, and grabbing him by the waist and spinning him around.

Louis lets out a -deep and manly- yelp, and Niall ruffles his hair after setting him down.

“Ready to go pack some fuckin’ apples Tommo? Last one to fifteen bushels is a maggot infested honeycrisp!”

He dodges the slap Louis throws at him, then begins jogging towards the shop, cackling like the bloody mad Irishman he is. Louis wants to be an adult, really he does, but his competitiveness gets the better of him, and he’s running behind Niall yelling.

“Fuck off Niall you _know_ I can outpack you with my eyes closed!”

His epiphany is momentarily forgotten, with the loud noise of the packing machine and his rush to _fucking destroy Niall_ , though once he beats him -by an entire peck and a half- it all catches up with him again.

Once the machine gets shut off, and he and Niall are packing at a more relaxed pace with Fleetwood Mac playing in the background, he decides he can’t sit on his newly acquired information anymore.

“So. Niall….”

Niall glances up from his bag. “Yeah, Louis….?”

Louis tries to look casual, like he’s talking about something he’s known about for months. “Uh, how long have Zayn and Liam been engaged?” Niall shrugs.

“About eight months or so, they’re going for a spring wedding, so they’ve got enough time to get both their families out here. They’re gettin’ married up in Duluth, at Gooseberry Falls, it’s gonna be fuckin’ gorgeous.”

Louis nods, feeling genuine happiness for his friends. “That sounds lovely, Zayn was showin’ me pictures the other day from when you guys went up there.”

Niall grins, then gives Louis a quizzical look. “Yeah it’s great, why are you asking though?” 

Louis’ eyes widen momentarily, before he shrugs. “Oh. Y’know, curious.”

“Uh huh. Just curious.”

Louis gives him a close-lipped smile. “Yup.”

Niall just stares at him a moment, eyes squinted, before a _look_ comes across his face, like he’s just figured out a particularly difficult maths equation, and Louis _knows_ he’s not going to get away with this.

“Oh my god. You thought Zayn was marrying Harry didn’t you.”

Louis shakes his head. “What?! No! Of course I didn’t! That’s a-”

“You _did!_ You _fucking_ -” Niall looks positively _gleeful_ , and he laughs. “-you thought they were engaged and _that’s_ why you and Harry aren’t-oh my _god_ I should’ve-” Louis groans and stomps over to where Niall is getting louder and louder.

“Niall stop it! Shut up before Zayn hears you! This is fucking _embarrassing_!”

Niall stops yelling, though he doesn’t look any less pleased, and he brings his hands up to rest them on Louis’ shoulders. “He’s gonna find out, Lou. You know that right?”

Louis starts shaking his head, and grips Niall’s elbows. “He can _not_ find out, you can _not_ tell him Niall!”

Niall removes his hands, and holds them up in the air. “I won’t say a word to him unless he asks, but he’s still gonna find out. Just warning you.”

Louis just glares at him, and Niall continues to look unapologetic. 

“Ugh. Fine, if he finds out he does, but it better not be because you blabbed.”

Niall shrugs, looking as innocent as he can -which is not very innocent _at all_ because Niall is actually satan- as he moves back to his packing station.

“Okay, whatever you say.”

Louis groans again, but goes back to his own packing station. All he can do now, he supposes, is hope and pray Zayn doesn’t find out for the sake of his pride.

\---

_September 20th, 6:00 A.M._

The night before, at nearly ten, Louis had received a text from Zayn asking him to come to the orchard an hour earlier than normal. He hadn’t given a reason, just said it was urgent, so Louis was there, at six in the morning, barely awake, and hoping there wasn’t a disaster to deal with.

When he steps into the store, blinking sleepily, he sees Zayn all of maybe a second, before Zayn is stepping around the counter, and practically yelling, “You thought I was marrying _Harry_?!”

Louis’ eyelids flutter, trying to comprehend why he’s being yelled at so fucking early. “Uuuuuh…”

“You’ve been under the impression, for the last like, _month_ , that I would _willingly_ get married to _Harry_?!”

“I um. You guys do kind of act-”

Zayn shakes his head at him. “Ooooooh _no_ , we do _not_ act like a married couple.” At Louis’ expression, Zayn shakes his head again. “Don't act like you weren’t going to say it because you were, and you’re _wrong_. Harry and I have been friends for nearly twenty years, yeah, but we are not, never have, and never _will_ love each other like that. Well. There was that one time we got high when we were fifteen, but _beyond that_ , nothing. Why did you even- _Louis_ why would you do that to me?!”

The last sentence comes out a whine, and Louis just blinks at him again, then sighs and rubs at his eyes, trying to get the sleep out. “I don’t know why I thought that Zayn I’m-you guys just acted really _close_ and Niall said something about you guys being ‘together’ for like twenty years? And like, when you told Harry ‘you mean if I want to ever see my boyfriend I have to move to Minnesota?!’ it just _sounded_ like you guys were in a relationship and-” He sighs again. “I dunno, it just made sense?”

Zayn’s giving him a fond kind of exasperated look, and then he shakes his head. “And you’re totally gone for Harry, and have been completely beating yourself up over his flirting, haven’t you?”

Louis blanches, and he brings his hands up to cover his face as he whines. “Zaaaayn come _on_ it is _six in the morning_ I don’t wanna talk about-please don’t tell Harry.”

Zayn just interrupts him with a laugh, and wraps an arm around his back and begins leading him towards the office. “Okay okay, I won’t tell Harry, and we don’t have to talk about this right now, what if I get some coffee in you? Will that make things a little better?”

Louis sighs again, but nods, smiling as well despite himself. “I’m normally not one for coffee, but _please_.”

Zayn laughs again, and luckily, that’s the end of the conversation for the day.

\---

Over the next day, Louis is wary whenever he’s around Harry, because even though Zayn had said he wouldn’t say anything to him, they’ve also been friends for nearly their entire life, so for all Louis knows, Zayn told Harry everything as soon as Niall blabbed.

As the hours go on though, it becomes apparent that Zayn must have kept his word, and Louis slowly begins to relax again.

It takes a few days, but Louis suddenly realizes that he can _flirt back_ with Harry. He can respond to the light touches the way he wants, he can let himself bask in Harry calling him _princess_ , and he can fully enjoy the way it feels when he thinks about Harry at night when he’s alone in bed.

It’s revolutionary for him, and he feels, once again, lighter than he thought possible.

\---

_September 22nd, 9:00_

Harry lets out a quiet grunt as he lowers the apples from his picking bag into the bin, and Louis briefly thinks about how that _shouldn’t_ be as sexy as it is, before he also lowers his in. When he looks up at Harry, he’s retying his hair into a ponytail, and Louis has to take a moment to take in how gorgeous he is.

This whole ‘Harry’s single’ thing is really working for Louis.

Harry catches him staring, and he wiggles his eyebrows at him cockily. “Take a picture love, it lasts longer.” 

Louis rolls his eyes, fighting back a grin. “I don’t know, I think I like the real thing more.”

Harry’s eyebrows go up, and he stares at Louis for a moment, his hands pausing in his hair.

“You feelin’ okay Lou?”

Louis just shrugs, and walks past Harry, making sure to sway his hips a little more than normal as he does.

Shocking Harry into not making a witty retort feels _good_ , though he’s sure it won’t last long. 

He’s right, and an hour later, when they’re both pulling their bags over their heads to take a break, Harry reaches over to help him with his -however uneccesary that help may be- and makes sure to press himself up behind Louis. “Careful princess, wouldn’t want that pretty hair of yours too messed up. Don’t know what people might think.”

Louis grins, and throws Harry a wink as he takes his bag from him. “I think I know _exactly_ what they’d think, actually.”

And just like that, the game is _on_.

Louis feels absolutely smug when he leaves later on in the day, after realizing it’s Friday, and Harry’s going to have to go the whole weekend thinking of every time Louis winked, or moaned after taking a bite of something, and decides then and there that this is the best autumn of his entire life.

\---

_September 25th_

The first time Louis sees Zayn after the weekend, he swears his eyebrows shoot straight up into his hairline.

Zayn steps into the packing room wearing a V neck under his flannel, showing off what looks like a fucking massacre happened on his neck. 

“Hey uh. Z have you looked in a mirror lately?”

Zayn just quirks an eyebrow at him, and gestures towards his mauled up neck. “Oh you mean this?”

Louis nods. “Yeah um, don’t you think you should maybe cover that up? Don’t want to scare all the homeschoolers away.”

Zayn just hums. “Actually, Niall’s offered to watch the shop today, seeing as I’m ‘not fit for being in the public eye’.” He says the last part in a terrible Irish accent, and Louis starts snickering.

“Did you and Liam have some fun over the weekend, then?” Zayn squints his eyes at him, though he still looks halfway amused. 

“Yeah, an’ it’s _entirely_ your fault.”

“ _My_ fault?!”

Zayn just hums. “Yes. After I told Liam that you thought Harry and I were together, he decided to go fucking _caveman_ Lou, I’m surprised I can _walk_.”

Louis bursts out laughing.

\---

_September 26th_

When Louis walks up to the front of the store, the big door onto the loading dock is open, and there’s a large black truck backed up to it. While he’s standing there, Niall comes out of the building onto the dock, carrying a crate of apples. When he sees Louis, he waves.

“Mornin’ Tommo! Climb up and help.” 

Louis does, and quickly learns that the apples being loaded up are approximately ten bushels of a mix of honeycrisps, harrelson's, sweet sixteens, ginger golds, and cortlands that had been deemed not good enough to sell in the store, but not bad enough to throw away. Normally, Zayn had those for sale in the store at a cheaper price than the good apples, but these were being donated to the local ‘Fall Festival’, and Harry was delivering them.

Louis’ heart warms just a little bit at the fact that Harry’s donating ten entire bushels of apples, it’s no wonder his aunt and everyone else in the area seems to think the world of him.

When Harry comes out of the shop, Liam trailing behind him, his face lights up, and Louis knows his own does as well.

“Hey morning Lou! Wanna go with me to make the delivery? Liam and Niall are being lazy tossers and won’t go with me.”

Louis grins. “Sure curly, we’ll make them stay here and do all the work.”

Niall flips him off as he goes to head back into the shop, and Liam just laughs.

“You act like any of us do any work when Harry’s not around.”

They all fall into a fit of giggles, and then Harry taps the side of the truck a couple times, and makes a gesture for Louis to get in. “C’mon princess, if we wait anymore we’re gonna be late, and Marie and Susan will have my hide.”

Louis brings his hand up in a two fingered salute, and climbs down from the loading dock, then into the passenger seat.

The ride into town takes fifteen minutes, with Harry taking every possible back road and blasting the Rolling Stones, and then it takes another ten to get all the crates unloaded, and put where the ladies in charge of the festival want them. Then there’s another twenty minutes of the old ladies calling Harry ‘hon’ and ‘dear’ and asking him if he’s found a man yet. Harry calls them ‘love’ and ‘ma’am’ back, and tells them he’s working on it. He glances over at Louis as he says it, and Louis can feel the back of his neck warming as he ducks his head. 

The old ladies talk to Louis too, asking him how his aunt and uncle are, how his cousins are doing in school, and how he likes it at the orchard. By the time they’ve managed to tear themselves away, Louis feels like he’s just spend an hour being interrogated by his nan.

Harry just laughs at him when he says so, and pulls him into the crowd that’s accumulated as they’ve talked. 

Louis is more than a little surprised, because he’d expected them to head straight back to the orchard, but Harry grips his hand, and tells him they’re going to go look around.

If his heart flutters at Harry’s tight grip on his hand, that’s definitely his own business.

For such a small community, they sure manage to make their Festival a big deal, and most of the vendors, and the games that have been set up are busy. At one point, Harry pulls Louis over to a water gun shooting game, and tells the woman running it -who owns four cats and whose name is apparently Jodi- that he’s going to play a couple rounds.

He does, and when he finally wins, he turns to Louis, a big grin on his face.

“Well, what do you want?”

Louis gives him a surprised look. “Me? But-”

“Uh-uh, no buts. Pick one of the prizes, please?” And Harry looks so cute, sticking his bottom lip out, that Louis literally doesn’t stand a chance.

He turns to Jodi, and points at a little rainbow colored bear hanging from the top. “Can I have that one please?”

When he turns back to Harry, the grin is back on his face, and it’s infectious. He holds the bear closer to him, and holds onto Harry’s sleeve for a moment. “You really didn’t have to y’know.”

Harry just shrugs, and takes Louis’ hand again, leading him towards the food stands. “Just cuz I don’t have to doesn’t mean I won’t princess.” Louis rolls his eyes, but lets Harry lead the way.

They work their way through the food stands, sampling salsas, jellies, breads, and Louis even buys some cookies for his cousins. Harry makes sure to buy a pumpkin pie off of a middle aged woman named Molly (who apparently has twelve kids), and promises her that Niall will get at least half of it.

Before Louis knows it, they’ve been there over an hour, and when they’ve finally seen everything, he’s more than a little disappointed.

Harry must notice, because as they’re climbing back into the truck, he asks if Louis wants to stop at the local coffee shop for some tea before they head back. Louis can’t say no to tea (or Harry), so of course they stop.

It’s a cute little place, called Latte Da, and it’s owned by a sweet lady in her fifties named Dana. After they place their orders with the barista -whose name is Lisa-, they go sit, and Louis can’t even pretend to himself anymore that this _isn’t_ a kind of date. A part of him is even wondering if Liam and Niall had refused to go just so Louis would have to.

Harry’s smiling at him, and Louis makes a face at him. “You’re staring curly.”

Harry continues to smile. “Well of course I am, you look like sunshine.” Before Louis can respond to the complement, Lisa comes over with their drinks. When she walks away, Harry turns back to him. “So, did you have fun at the festival? I know it’s a little smaller than any carnivals that are ever back in England but….” Louis is nodding his head vigorously.

“I’ve had a lovely time Harry, the people are so nice, and it feels good to be hanging out with you somewhere away from trees and bugs.”

Harry laughs, his loud, braying one that Louis _adores_. “I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself love, I’m having more fun than I think I’ve had in at least a month.”

Louis nods, and takes a sip of his tea. “You really do work a lot don’t you? I mean, the other guys do too, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen you relax more than ten minutes before.” Harry shrugs, and takes a sip of his own drink.

“I’m the owner aren’t I? Besides, I love it. Even when it’s crazy, and Liam’s stressed and ornery, Niall won’t talk to anyone, and Zayn’s shouting at me. I love the orchard, and it’s worth every moment I’m up and moving instead of resting.”

The corner of Louis’ mouth quirks up in a fond smile. “Did you ever think about owning a business before? Or did the opportunity just kind of slap you in the face?”

Harry chuckles, and brings a hand up to his face to rest his chin on. “Never really thought about it before coming here I guess, back in London I was just basically going through the motions y’know? Get up, go to work, come home from work, go out with my friends. I had a great job, had a lot of friends, a really nice flat to come home to that I wasn’t struggling to pay for. But I was just…..” He pauses, and tucks a stray curl behind his ear. “I wasn’t happy, and I know the lads were all worried about me, that’s why they brought me here yeah? Thought maybe a couple weeks away from everything would help.” He smiles, and makes a vague gesture. “Obviously, it did.” 

Louis laughs softly, and wraps his hands around his mug. “I get that, honestly. Like, being out here, working with you guys the last few weeks has been like, the best time I’ve had in years probably. I live by myself, far enough away from my family that impromptu visiting is inconvenient, and everyone I’m friends with are just too busy to make time for the little things anymore. It’s refreshing to be here and see how much a family you four are.”

He doesn’t mention how much he wants to be a part of that family. How it almost eats him from the inside out sometimes. 

Harry nods. “We are a family, and I love them. Can’t imagine life without them all literally living down the road from me at this point. Still can’t believe they all just up and moved out here with me sometimes.” He goes quiet for a minute, then brings his hand out to touch Louis’, his thumb rubbing along Louis’ knuckles. “You’re part of that too now y’know that right? We all love having you around, and even if-when you have to leave, you’re still gonna be part of this.”

Louis can feel tears swimming at the corners of his eyes, and he bites at his lip a second, trying to keep them at bay, before finally replying.

“That means a lot Harry, thank you. You guys couldn’t be rid of me if you tried at this point, honestly.”

Harry seems happy with his answer, and he brings Louis’ hand up, presses a soft little kiss to his fingers, then lowers their hands together and takes a sip of his drink.

Fuck. Is this what falling in love feels like?

\---

The rest of the week, like they all have been lately, flies by. 

Louis can tell something has changed between he and Harry, and it thrills him. Harry is still an asshole -he’d never admit it out loud but Louis hopes that never changes-, but the little things are what change the most. When they pick together, Harry makes sure they’re either picking on either side of the same tree, or right next to each other. He carries his bag for him, his gloves, and if it gets warm out, he’ll even carry Louis’ flannel for him as they walk back to the store.

There’s a moment, one day, where Louis falls off the ladder because he misses the last step. At the time, he’s more worried that he’s dropped his apples (luckily only a couple rolled out) but Harry fusses over him like he’d fallen off a building. 

Louis wants to be annoyed, but when Harry kisses the scrape he’d gotten on his elbow, he just can’t be.

It all feels like it’s building up -and up, and up- to something, and Louis has never been this excited for the future before.

\---

_September 29th_

Louis is in the back, helping Niall with packing for the first time in what feels like weeks, but has honestly only been days. 

They’re just nearing the end of the day, when Niall comes up to Louis, and rests his arm on Louis’ shoulder like he’s _so_ much taller than Louis is. Dick.

“Say, Lou, did you wanna join us for lunch on Sunday?”

“For lunch? What’s the occasion?”

Niall grins. “Not really an occasion, but we all meet up for lunch and beers every Sunday, ‘s a bit of a tradition.”

“Why are you inviting me?”

“It’s lad’s night! You’re a lad ain’tcha?”

Louis can feel a bit of a warm, fuzzy feeling threatening to take hold, and he starts to shake his head. “Ah, I dunno Ni, I wouldn’t want to intrude on you guys an-”

Niall, the dick, just starts laughing. “Christ Lou, it was Liam’s idea to invite you, and Harry’s been textin’ me all day asking if I’ve asked you yet. Zayn’s already planning on makin’ pumpkin pie just because you’ve said you love it so many times.” He brings a hand up to his mouth, and pretends to whisper. “Don’t tell Liam, but I think Zayn might just be a little bit in love with you.” 

That startles a laugh out of Louis, and Niall looks pleased with himself as he moves away from him to lean up against the packing machine. “M’point is Lou, you’re a proper lad now, and you’re coming over for lunch.”

Louis, still grinning, just shakes his head fondly. “I don’t really have much of a choice, do I?”

Niall laughs again, but doesn’t answer, and just grabs a crate of apples to carry into the cooler.

Dick.

\---

_October 1st_

Louis wakes up the morning of his first official ‘lad’s day’ to a text from Niall. It tells him to be at Harry’s place at ten, dressed in sweatpants, and with a selection of movies so they don’t have to watch Mamma Mia for the billionth time. 

He replies with just an innocent smiley emoji, and two minutes later Niall is calling him, and telling him if he so much as _dares_ to show up with skinny jeans on, or without a movie list, he’s never going to get a bite of the pumpkin pie Zayn has apparently stayed up ‘all bloody night’ baking.

Louis just laughs, and hangs up on him.

On the drive over, Louis is about vibrating out of himself with excitement. 

He gets to spend time with the _lads_ , in _Harry’s house_.

Fuck. He’s gonna be in Harry’s house, for the first time. He’s going to see where Harry cooks, and sits in the mornings to eat breakfast, he’s going to see his living room, he’s going to be surrounded by everything Harry, and he’s absolutely thrilled.

He _is_ wearing sweatpants of course, but if they’re also sweatpants he bought for nearly a hundred dollars, just because they make his ass look great, then that is _entirely_ for his comfort.

And, hopefully, Harry’s eyes.

\---

When he knocks on Harry’s door, he fully expects Harry to answer, but he doesn’t expect his own reaction to the sight of Harry dressed so….. _casually_.

It’s so different, seeing him in just a t-shirt (this one has a TC logo on, which Louis has learned is the Minnesota baseball team’s logo) and without a flannel. Louis thinks this is actually the first time he’s ever seen him without one. He’s also wearing sweatpants, and his hair down.

Louis can count on one hand the number of times he’s seen Harry with his hair down, and each of those times it had been windswept and messy. This time, though, it’s obviously been recently washed, and it’s falling onto Harry’s shoulders so beautifully, in perfect little ringlets, that Louis could cry.

Most importantly though, he has _tattoos_. All black beautiful outlines mostly covering his left arm. They look like they’re there to specifically draw attention to his bicep and…..yeah. Okay. Attention officially drawn.

In that moment, he looks like everything Louis wants to wake up to each morning, and it makes his heart want to burst.

Harry grins at him, and practically pulls him inside, showing him where he can hang his jacket. As he does that, Harry turns towards the opening into the house, and yells out,

“Oi fuckers, Lou’s here!”

Louis hears the other three letting out cheers from somewhere in the house, and then follows Harry as he leads him from the entry room, through the dining room where he can see the opening into the kitchen, and into the living room. The TV is on what looks to be a sports station, and Niall and Liam are standing in front of it looking like they’re discussing something serious.

When they see Louis, both their faces light up, and they both move over to squeeze him into a hug. Louis starts laughing, letting out a couple half assed protests, before just letting them do it. When they finally break apart, Liam squeezes his shoulder.

“Glad you could make it mate, you ready to act like a bum for the rest of the day?”

“Sounds good to me, is there a particular schedule to the bumming?”

Harry laughs. “There’s only a slight schedule, we watch the football game, eat snacks for lunch during it, have supper later after the game is over, then we pop in a movie before you all head home and leave me all alone again.” He finishes the sentence with a dramatic sigh, and Louis nods, laughing at Harry as he watches him leave the room when a timer starts beeping, presumably from the kitchen.

“Sounds like you guys have this down to an art form.”

Niall pipes up from in front of the TV, where he’d migrated to after the hug finished. “We’ve been doin’ it for years mate, even before we moved out here. We’ve _perfected_ the ritual. Could probably count the number of Sundays we’ve missed on one hand.”

Louis giggles, and nudges Liam. “Where’s your better half Li? I ‘aven’t gotten my hug from him yet.” He doesn’t mention that he hadn’t gotten a hug from Harry either, because no he’s not bitter. Liam nods in the direction Harry had gone.

“Z’s in the kitchen, he kind of takes over with the cooking, and Harry goes in to help whenever the commercials are on. Y’can go bother them if you’d like.” Louis grins, and turns to go the way Harry had.

When he reaches the kitchen, Zayn is also wearing sweatpants, and Louis knows he’s _got_ to stop being surprised when he sees any of them in casual clothes. There’s music playing from a speaker resting on the counter -More Than A Feeling by Boston is what’s currently on- Harry’s standing over the stove, stirring something, and Zayn’s got his hand in a mixing bowl on the counter next to him. When he catches sight of Louis, Zayn’s face lights up much like Liam’s and Niall’s had, and he sets the bowl down and holds his clean hand out to bring Louis in for a hug.

“Hey Lou!” 

“Zaynie!” Louis eagerly goes in for the hug, carefully avoiding the hand Zayn had had in the bowl. After he pulls away, he points at the bowl.

“What on _earth_ are you playing with in there?” Zayn smacks his arm lightly, then starts using his clean hand to brush off his other hand.

“It’s just brown sugar, oatmeal, flour, and butter. It’s the topping for apple crisp.” He points at a pan that’s sitting behind the bowl, already filled with apples covered in cinnamon. Louis gives him a questioning look, and Zayn just shrugs. “It’s like apple pie but easier, I already made one pie, didn’t wanna put the effort into another one. Besides, I’m going to be making about five thousand apple pies to put in the store in the next couple weeks, I’d rather _not_ start early.”

Harry looks up from what he’s stirring, a fake shocked look on his face. “But Zayn, I thought you _loved_ making apple pies!” Zayn turns a glare on him.

“Harry I _know_ what you’re going to say an-”

“I mean, you’re so good at it you literally bake them so fast they set on fire!”

Zayn frowns. “Harry-”

Harry doesn’t let him finish, and looks over his head at Louis. “Hey Lou, did we ever tell you what happened a couple years ago?” 

Louis glances at Zayn, who’s still glaring at Harry, and even though he knows the story, thanks to Niall, he decides to play along. “Uh, nope, I don’t think you did Harry.”

Harry, with entirely too much glee, continues stirring, but turns to face Louis. “Well, he had just found a new apple pie recipe, and he wanted to give it a go after baking enough for the store, so, being a genius, he stayed up until-when was it Zayn?” He looks pointedly at Zayn, who’s openly pouting now, and doesn’t answer.

“Nevermind I just remembered, it was three in the morning, sweet little Z here had put his pie in the oven, and then sat down in the living room, TV on, without setting a timer.” He pauses for effect, and Louis doesn’t even try to fight the smile on his face.

“What happened Harry?”

Harry reaches out and pats Zayn on the head, giggling when Zayn slaps at his arm. “Four smoke alarms went off, and I came downstairs to find my kitchen on fire. I had to call the fire department and everything. After heroically rescuing Zayn of course.” Louis gasps.

“Oh my god _Zayn_.”

Zayn huffs. “Shut up it was an _accident_ and I was tired!” 

Harry shrugs. “I keep saying, it’s lucky my house is the only one certified for baking. There’s no fuckin’ way Liam would’ve woken up to save your ass.”

Louis and Harry both break out into laughter, and a few seconds later, Zayn is too. They laugh until their laughs trail off into giggles, and Zayn turns back to his apple crisp. “You guys are both _such_ assholes oh my god.”

Louis looks up at Harry, who’s already looking back at him, and breaks into another fit of giggles.

Just then, Niall yells from the other room, telling Harry that the game’s back on. Zayn shoos him away, and sets Louis to work stirring what Harry had been. It turns out to be what Zayn calls a _roux_ , which is the base for the chicken alfredo he’s making. Louis can’t help it, he groans out loud at the thought of a decent homemade meal. 

Zayn laughs in agreement. “Tell me about it, it sucks not being able to have decent meals often during the week.” Louis nods. 

“Seriously, I don’t think I’ve eaten so many microwavable meals since uni. If it weren’t for me aunt I don’t think I’d be eating hot meals at all. And I’m not even here ‘s long as you guys are during the day, how do you do it?”

Zayn just shrugs, and has Louis move aside so he can put the crisp in the oven. “We’re getting used to it mostly, but Niall and Harry have started making frozen dinners for us all, just so we can have decent food even when it gets busy.” Louis makes a ‘hm’ noise, impressed. 

“That must be why you guys have these Sundays then? To get some decent food in you?” Zayn nods.

“It’s a little bit of that I guess, but honestly it’s probably more to keep us all sane. We’re still….trying to figure all this out? So it’s nice to just like, to take a day out of the week to chill, unwind, and just _be_ , together as a family and remember that we’re all in our twenties yet. It’s important to us.” He goes quiet a moment, then looks at Louis with a smile on his face. “Anyway, with the way Harry is about football, we’d be over here regardless, best just to make a day out of it.”

Louis shakes his head in bewilderment, taking his pan off the burner as the timer goes off. “What is it with Harry and his damn packers anyway? What’s wrong with _actual_ football?” Zayn snorts, and shakes his head as well.

“Don’t ask me mate, I don’t understand it either.” 

They look at each other, then together, “Fucking _Harry_.”

\---

As the day goes on, everyone has a beer in hand, and by the time the game has ended and dinner’s on the table, Louis thinks everyone’s got a good buzz going.

The food is delicious -of course-, the pumpkin pie is the _literal_ best thing Louis has ever eaten, and when they all make their way back to the living room, they’re all happy, full, and comfortable.

Then, discussion over the movie begins. Well, it begins for all of five minutes, and then the subject shifts. 

Liam’s just pointed out that his sweatpants are the only ones with any color on them -there’s a little bit of purple going up the sides, while everyone else’s are just plain gray or black- when Niall gestures to Louis.

“Well yours may have color on them Li, but Lou’s have his _ass_ in them.” Louis’ eyebrows shoot up, and he gives Niall a coy look.

“Really Niall? Are you an ass man?” Niall grins, and shakes his head.

“Nah mate, it’s all about the upper body for me; _however_ Harry over here…..” He points at Harry with his beer bottle, and makes what Louis is sure he thinks is a wise expression. 

Louis can feel his heart skip a beat. Oh _that’s_ how it is then.

“Oh _really_?”

Harry just starts laughing, and Zayn rolls his eyes, then shifts forward from where he’s been tucked under Liam’s arm.

“Oooh really, Lou listen, these are Harry’s priorities -here Li hold my-” He hands his beer over to Liam, then sticks one hand flat out in the air at eye level. “- this is the orchard,” he puts the other hand about half an inch below the other one, “this is his mummy,” he moves the other hand directly below the other one, “and this one, is a nice, plump arse.”

Liam and Niall are both laughing, but Louis joins them, albeit a little red in the face as he looks up at Harry through his eyelashes. He raises his own beer up towards Harry. “A’right I can respect that. I tend to lean towards nice, big hands though.” 

Harry’s smirking now, and he leans forward in his chair, completely ignoring how Niall, Zayn and Liam seem to have moved on already, and takes a swig of his beer, practically leering at Louis as he brushes his bottom lip with his thumb, then spreads his hand out over his knee, tapping his fingers and watching Louis’ eyes tracking the movement.

Louis’ face is on fire, he’s almost certain of it, and he has to pull his gaze away from Harry completely as he drains his bottle. The other three seem to be in their own world, and he gets up from his seat, mumbling something about going to get another drink as he hastily leaves the room.

He heads to the kitchen and is bent over grabbing a drink from the fridge when he hears movement behind him. He straightens up, and is about to turn around when his back is pushed up against the countertop, big _big_ hands at his waist, and an incredibly hungry looking Harry pressed up against his front.

He gasps, and nearly drops the bottle in his hand, but Harry grabs it and sets it on the counter before it can fall. Louis’ heart is racing, especially when Harry decides to bring his hand up, and rests his thumb on the corner of Louis’ mouth, with the rest of his hand spread over his neck, his fingertips reaching the nape of his neck.

“ _Harry_.” He’s able to rasp out. Jesus christ, Harry’s _hands_.

Harry just groans. “Fuck, princess, what you fucking do to me.” Louis whines, and Harry moves his hips forward, so Louis can feel his hard cock pressed against his hip. “Fucking _feel_ what you do to me love, do you feel the same?”

Louis nods, mouth parted as he tries to will Harry’s thumb into his mouth. 

Harry, somehow, seems to understand, and he shifts his hand a little, the tip of his thumb going into Louis’ open and waiting mouth. When Louis closes his mouth, and sucks, Harry moans softly.

Louis is just about to open his mouth again, and plead for _something_ , when there’s a shout from the living room.

“H, where are the beers? We’re about to play the movie!”

They both freeze, staring at each other another moment, before Harry groans again, this time out of frustration. “Be there in a minute Z!”

He squeezes Louis’ hip once more, then pulls away, Louis whining when he pulls his thumb away as well. Harry looks pained. “Fuck, I know, we’ll-” He breathes in a deep breath. “-we’ll finish this later love, I promise.” He waits for Louis’ nod, then goes to the fridge and grabs three beers -all in one hand _christ_ -, then reaches down and adjusts himself. Louis wants to cry.

Harry nods towards Louis, a tiny shadow of a smirk on his face. “Go take care of yourself princess, I’ll tell ‘em you’re on the phone or summat.”

Then he leaves the kitchen, and Louis sinks down to the floor.

Holy _fuck_.

If Louis thought Harry was bad before he had a few beers in him, well. This is a whole new level apparently.

Louis distantly remembers something Liam had said one time about Harry being a ‘flirty drunk’ but then he hadn’t thought anything of it. Now though? 

Louis whimpers quietly when he realizes he’s still just as hard as he’d been when Harry walked out of the room, and realizes he’s probably going to have to do what Harry said.

He’s not thinking about the shiver that runs through him at that thought as he sneaks into the bathroom. Nope, not at all.

And he’s definitely not thinking about it as he pulls himself out of his sweatpants, and gets himself off, biting back soft little whimpers as he comes faster than he has in…..well, since the last time he thought about Harry.

\---

The movie chosen for the night is the James Bond movie, Skyfall, and Louis is glad they’ve picked a movie with explosions for him to focus on, and to distract everyone from him as he sulks back into the living room.

Because Harry’s sitting across from him, sure, but that does not, in any way mean he’s in any way bearable to be around.

Every damn time he looks over at him, Harry’s looking back at him, either with his hand up by his mouth, or his teeth biting into his bottom lip, or even with his hand placed directly _over his crotch_.

It’s _obscene_ , and inappropriate, and yeah, Louis got himself off, but does that make this any easier to deal with?

Abso-fucking-lutely not.

By the time the movie’s ended, everyone’s chatted a bit more, sobered up, and are making noise about heading out, Louis is so tense he’s sure he’s about to explode.

Niall ducks out first, telling Harry as he leaves that he’ll be over at six to help with something or other; to be honest Louis is just not listening. About half an hour later, Louis can feel his eyes beginning to droop, and he tells the other three he better get going as well. 

Zayn and Liam wave at him from their comfortable looking cuddle -they’re so fucking adorable _how_ in the world did Louis ever think Zayn could be with Harry?-, and Harry says he’ll walk him out to his car.

The walk to Louis’ car is quiet, with Harry sticking close to his side, their hands bumping every so often, and the silence is so thick that Louis almost wants to cough or sneeze just to break it.

He’s tense again, and when they reach his car, he’s about to just thank Harry for being a gracious -if you can call it that- host, when Harry’s up in his space again, pushing him back against the car, but not actually touching him this time.

Louis wants to reach out, wants to touch, wants to _be_ touched damn it, but before he can, Harry’s got his hands on either side of Louis’ head, resting on his car.

“Did you do what I told you to baby?” Louis whines, (how fucking embarrassing), and swallows before answering.

“I don’t-what did-” Harry tsks.

“You know what I’m talking about, princess.”

Louis sighs, and brings his eyes up to meet Harry’s. God is he tall, then nods. “Y-Yeah Harry, did it before coming to watch the movie.”

Harry groans then, and closes his eyes a moment, before opening them again. “ _Fuck_ you’re such a good boy Lou, such a good princess for me, aren’t you?” He’s got a hand on Louis’ cheek again, and he’s leaning closer now. Louis wants to whine again, but instead speaks.

“Always good for you da-”

The sound of Harry’s front door slamming interrupts him, and he looks up to see Zayn and Liam coming down the path from Harry’s house. The next second, he’s _cold_ , because Harry has completely moved away from him. Fuck, Louis hates him right now.

He also hates Liam and Zayn, who are cuddled right up into each other, and taking their sweet, sweet time walking to their vehicle. When they get close enough Harry lifts a hand in a wave. “You guys headed out then?” 

Zayn nods. “Yeah, gettin’ tired. Gotta get rested up for tomorrow anyway.” Harry nods in agreement. 

“Right, g’night then you two.” Liam and Zayn both say goodnight back, and then to Louis, Liam throwing him a quick wink when the other two aren’t looking. As they’re walking away, Harry calls out, “Don’t have too much fun tonight, hey!” 

Zayn starts laughing, and Liam just yells, “Not making any promises!” As he slaps Zayn’s ass.

Zayn gasps loudly, then chases a giggling Liam back to their vehicle. 

Harry and Louis are both giggling as well as the other two drive away, and by the time Harry turns back to look at him, Louis knows nothing more will happen tonight.

They say goodnight, hesitantly, but they do, and then Louis is reluctantly getting into his car and driving away.

Harry stays outside and watches him drive away, and as far as Louis knows, he doesn’t go back to his house until he can’t see Louis’ headlights anymore.

Later on, Louis will wonder what would’ve happened if he’d turned around and gone back, or just decided not to leave at all.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has quite possibly my most favorite scenes I have ever written, I hope you enjoy!

The next week is absolutely crazy, as they all begin getting ready for the Halloween Festivities that begin the seventeenth, and go until Halloween. Louis has never been busier in his entire life.

Liam starts marking out the trail for the hayrides, and he and Zayn plan out the little maze for kids that’s made out of hay bales. They also get a station set up for bobbing for apples, one for face painting -that a friend of Harry’s is apparently going to come and do-, and they even set up a small stage for local bands to play on on Friday nights.

Halfway through the week, Zayn asks Louis if he’ll help him with the pies. They sell like mad during the festival every year, and usually Harry tries to help when he can, but since Louis is there he happily agrees to help Zayn out. Harry has enough on his plate with working with the different vendors, and overseeing pretty much everything.

On top of that, trying to pick enough apples for both the store and all of the wholesale orders is getting to be _exhausting_ , and Louis falls into bed most nights by nine, curled up with his little baby bear from Harry, and sleeping so hard he doesn’t even dream.

About halfway through the week, Liam brings up wanting to take a trip up to Duluth, to show Louis Gooseberry Falls, and just to get away once before the _actual_ craziness sets in.

Harry agrees immediately, and says something about bringing his camera along, and Louis, Niall and Zayn aren’t exactly hard to convince.

So, Friday rolls around, and instead of going back to his aunt and uncle’s place, Louis stays the night at Niall’s, just down the road from the orchard, only slightly chagrined at the fact that he _could_ be staying at Harry’s, if only the idiot had offered.

\---

_October 7th, 5 A.M., In The Back of Niall’s SUV_

Luckily for Louis, since he’s never made the trip before, no one says anything about making him taking a turn driving. He’s grateful, because while he’s gotten used to driving in the little town, and on the backroads, he’s nowhere _near_ ready to face the kind of traffic that’s bound to come with a big tourist attraction like Duluth. 

So, he sits in the seat directly behind the driver’s seat and sleeps until eight, because being awake before seven on a weekend? Fuck _that_ noise.

He wakes up twice during the drive up; once to stop and get ‘Dunn Bros.’, which is apparently the best coffee in the whole world that’s exclusively a Midwestern thing (he has to agree after the first sip that it’s actually really good), and the second time to stop and look at Lake Superior.

When he’s finally shaken awake for good by Zayn, it’s because they’re nearly in Duluth, and they don’t want him to miss the scenery. He’s glad for it, because northern Minnesota is absolutely _gorgeous_ this time of year, with all the oranges and reds and yellows all the trees are producing.

Duluth itself is a beautiful city, and Louis is in particular captivated by the houses that are built slanted in the middle of the city, just because of the _huge_ hill right in the middle.

After stopping for lunch, and checking into their hotel, they all go hiking at Tettegouche State Park (which Liam insists on pronouncing ‘tetta-gucci’ until everyone else just goes along with it). Then, they go shopping downtown at some of the antique shops, then finally, go out to eat dinner before heading back to the hotel.

By the time they get back to the hotel, Louis is dead on his feet, and would _love_ to just hop into a nice warm bed, but instead, he’s dragged to the pool. 

Which, after a rousing game of pool basketball, admittedly, is probably the most fun he has in his entire life.

He teams up with Liam, and Harry teams up with Niall, with Zayn sitting out since he can’t swim very well.

Louis is nothing if not competitive, and _somehow_ they’ve managed to have the entire pool to themselves, so he goes _off_. After a lot of cussing each other out, and a couple of near concussions, he and Liam fucking _own_ the other two, because they’re fucking _awesome_.

It’s not until he falls into bed later on, that he curses the fact that he’s sharing a room with Niall, and Harry’s in the other room with Liam and Zayn.

Honestly, fuck his life.

\---

_October 8th, 11:00 A.M., Gooseberry Falls_

When Louis was shaken awake by Niall at seven this morning, he’d almost cussed him out, and refused to get out of bed.

Looking at the gorgeous waterfalls in front of him, surrounded by the gorgeous colors of fall, he’s glad he didn’t.

The sight takes his breath away initially, and Harry, standing next to him taking pictures, just sighs, and says, “I _know_ right?”

Zayn and Liam come up behind him then, holding hands, and Louis shakes his head at them. 

“You two are really a couple of demanding bastards aren’t you?”

They both just laugh, and Liam shrugs. “It was the only place that fielt right really, we’re just hoping the water isn’t murky and gross the day of the wedding, otherwise the pictures won’t turn out very nice.”

Zayn wrinkles his nose at the idea, and Louis laughs, because if such a thing were to happen, he just _knows_ Zayn would find a way to redo the entire photoshoot.

Niall climbs up to where they’re standing then, and gestures over to some flat ground near the base of the falls. “I’ve got the picnic all set up, and I _will_ start eating without you if you fuckers don’t get down here now.”

No one doubts him, and food sounds _amazing_ , so everyone follows him down the trail, and sit down to have what Harry dubs a lad’s day away from home.

Before leaving Duluth that morning, they’d picked up some drinks, and a box of donuts, but other than that, everything else they eat is what they’d all prepared the night before they left.

There’s a decent assortment of sandwiches made from deli meats, grapes, a bunch of bananas, some cherries, and Niall had even managed to find some strawberries that actually tasted great even though they were out of season. Of course, there were apples too, some ginger golds that Zayn had sliced up and were to be dipped in some caramel sauce.

Louis pouts at the apple choice, and squints his eyes at Zayn. “Why’d you only bring _your_ favorite apple?” 

Zayn shrugs, and points at Harry. “Hey don’t single me out, they’re Harry’s favorite too. Besides, he’s the one who picked them for me.”

Harry nods, and takes a bite of his. “Everyone knows they’re the best apples for eating Lou.”

Louis just rolls his eyes. “That’s not even _true_ , just because they don’t get brown doesn’t mean they’re the best apples for eating, _Harold_.” From around a mouthful of sandwich, Niall interjects.

“Yeah, the best apples for eating are _obviously_ honeycrisps.” Louis gasps.

“ _Niall_ what the fuck! Honeycrisps are so basic, and Sweet sixteens are the best!” Zayn and Harry both start laughing, and Louis pouts, looking over at Liam. “C’mon Li, back me up here?” 

Liam just shakes his head and raises his hands in the air. “Do _not_ get me involved in this, my favorites are snow sweet, and that is my _correct_ opinion on the matter.” 

Harry snorts at Liam’s answer, and the look on Louis’ face that means he’s clearly going to argue the subject with him. “It’s best not to even go there Lou, he’s about as stubborn as you are on the subject.” He smiles then, all innocent looking. “Besides, it makes sense you like sweet sixteens, seeing as you’re so sweet yourself.”

Everyone groans, Liam throws a grape at him, and Louis has to throw an apple slice at him to distract from his growing blush. Harry just giggles, and gets his camera out to start taking pictures again.

Eventually, after everyone’s eaten their fill, and their food’s settled, they pack up what’s left of their picnic, and get ready to hike back. Before they go though, Niall gets them all positioned in front of a waterfall, and makes them pose for a selfie. 

As they take the picture, a group of college kids go by, and one of the girls in the group stops and offers to take their picture. Niall agrees, a wide grin on his face, and is about to hand his phone over when Harry interjects.

“Actually why don’t you take the picture with my camera, then it’ll be better quality.”

After she takes the picture, and Harry sends her off with a thank you and an apple -does he just carry apples around? What the fuck-, he admits that he wants to get them each a print of the picture to frame.

Louis can feel his heart melt just a little bit at the thought, and then realizes with a start that he’s supposed to be _leaving_ in a couple months.

As they hike back to the vehicle, he pushes the thought away firmly. 

Maybe, he thinks desperately as he watches Niall chase Harry with a wet and mossy stick, and cackling loudly, if he pretends like this will never end, then it won’t.

\---

They leave for home after a bit more sightseeing, Louis sitting up front while Harry drives. Niall, Liam, and Zayn are all curled up on the bench in the way back, and all their bags are piled in the middle. Harry’s got a playlist from his phone playing on the radio softly, the sound of Prince slowly fading out in the background as the sun goes down.

They talk a bit, in hushed tones because the other three have fallen asleep, and it’s nice that they’re getting a bit of rest before the next couple of weeks start up. About an hour and a half into the drive, they’ve both fallen into a comfortable silence, the moon shining into the vehicle beautifully as Harry turns the music up slightly to hear the end of an Arctic Monkeys song.

The next song to play is Leather and Lace by Stevie Nicks, and without really thinking about it, Louis starts quietly singing along. He gets a little lost in it, halfway to being lulled asleep, and is startled when the song reaches the chorus, and Harry joins in on _give to me your leather_ , his harmonies mixing beautifully with Louis’, and leaves _take from me, my lace_ to Louis.

When he pulls his gaze from the window to look at Harry -like he’d been strongly avoiding-, Harry’s got a soft smile on his face, and jumps right into Don Henley’s verse without hesitation.

He’s got a beautiful voice, deep and slightly raspy, and with every word he sings, it sounds genuine, like he means every word with every fiber of his being. Louis could drown in it.

They finish out the song together, and when it ends, the playlist moving on to November Rain by Guns ‘N Roses, neither of them says anything. A few seconds later though, Harry’s hand moves over to where Louis’ is resting on the console, and he gently takes ahold of it.

Louis lets him, wraps his smaller fingers around Harry’s larger ones, and wonders if this slow, melancholy, feeling; where he feels like he’s in a dream, and the only person worth waking up for is right next to him. He wonders if this is what being on the edge of falling feels like.

After a glance at his and Harry’s entwined hands, the glow of the moonlight making Harry look like an angel, and the small smile still on Harry’s face, he decides that whatever it is, it’s the best feeling in the world.

\---

_October 9th, 5:30 A.M._

Instead of going to his aunt and uncle’s when they’d gotten back, Louis had just decided to stay at Zayn and Liam’s house. So had Harry and Niall, and they’d all just thrown their blankets and pillows on the floor of their living room, and fallen asleep wherever they landed. So when Louis wakes up, it’s to someone’s knee pressed into his side, an empty space next to him, the smell of coffee, and soft talking coming from the direction of the kitchen. A quick head count confirms that it’s Harry and Zayn making the noise at five in the morning, the day after coming back from a road trip. Of _course_ they are.

Louis groans softly to himself, and flops his head back onto his pillow, which turns out to be Liam’s arm. Okay then.

There’s shuffling from the entryway, and then Zayn comes tiptoeing into the room with two mugs in hand, with Harry following him, carrying three. They set the mugs on the coffee table that had been pushed to the side the night before, and then they begin to try and rouse the other three.

That idea is met with three very loud groans, that only quiet when the other three realize there’s hot drinks ready and breakfast being made.

When Louis finally works his way up into a sitting position, Harry hands him a mug, and Louis is thrilled to realize they’ve given him yorkshire tea instead of coffee. He’s still awake at an ungodly hour, but knowing they’d remembered what kind of tea he prefered helps a little bit.

Then, the other two wake up, and Harry claps his hands.

“Alright, who’s ready to eat breakfast, then head to the orchard?”

The answer, if the groans and pillows being thrown at Harry are anything to go by, is a resounding _fuck you_.

\---

The rest of the day is exhausting, and long, and pretty much sets the bar for how the next couple weeks go.

The days Louis does go back to his aunt and uncle’s, it’s not until anytime after eight usually, and he still winds up coming back to the orchard at six every morning anyway, so somewhere in between the bushels and bushels of apples he packs and picks, the probably hundreds of pies he and Zayn prepare and freeze, and all the cleaning that gets done both inside and out the store, he starts just….staying at Zayn and Liam’s more than he doesn’t. It’s just _easier_ than driving back to his aunt and uncle’s every night when he’s bone tired and just wants to crash instead of talk, and on top of that, it’s literally a minute’s drive to their place from the orchard, versus the almost fifteen minute drive back to his aunt and uncle’s.

So really, it’s all done for convenience.

Of course, once he finds out how much time Harry spends there as well, it pretty much seals the deal. Harry seems to spend more time at Zayn and Liam’s than he does his own home, and most nights all four of them wind up asleep in the living room, watching some movie.

He and Harry haven’t had hardly a moment alone together since the drive back from Duluth, sadly. To be fair, Louis hasn’t had a moment alone with Niall either, or even Zayn or Liam, that doesn’t somehow involve working. 

Around the middle of week two of insanity, Louis may or may not complain a little bit to Zayn about barely seeing Harry. He hates how much he sounds like a jealous boyfriend, because he’s _not_ jealous, or his boyfriend for that matter. Zayn just laughs, and tells him he’s barely seen Liam either, and they’re _engaged_.

So, Louis maybe feels a little better after that.

It still sucks though, because Harry seems so _stressed_ ; he’s got bags under his eyes most days, and his back must be hurting him too, because Louis catches him hunched over sometimes. He never complains though, of course he doesn’t, and as admirable as that is, Louis also thinks he’s an _idiot_.

The fact of the matter is though, that as much as Louis wants to be, he’s not in a position to actually _say_ anything. It’s not his place, they’re not _dating_ , and Harry is an adult who can take care of himself.

That’s what he tells Lottie anyway, when he facetimes her one night from the guest room at Zayn and Liam’s. She just raises her eyebrows at him, and he tells her to shut up.

\---

_October 17th, 3:30 P.M._

There’s half an hour before the orchard is officially open for fun and games, and everyone is in a rush to do _something_.

Liam’s doing some last minute maintenance on the hay wagon that’s hitched up behind the tractor, even though Harry had told him the day before he should probably look at it. Niall’s helping Harry finish setting up picnic tables in a wide circle around a fire pit for later on, and Louis and Zayn are putting the finishing touches on the displays in the store.

With all the running around though, Louis can tell everyone’s excited, and when people start pouring in half an hour later, everyone’s in high spirits. 

Louis is still amazed, even almost two month later, at just how loved the lads are within the community. Harry’s greeting everyone with a huge grin, hugs for the people who are comfortable with it, and handshakes for the people that aren’t. It’s to the point that Louis isn’t entirely sure he can tell the difference between who Harry actually knows, and who he’s meeting for the first time, because he gets just as wide of grins in return, and incredibly enthusiastic hugs.

About an hour into it, the little kids are all running around with painted faces thanks to Harry’s friend Marcy, who’s so good at painting faces that Louis eventually goes around to the face painting booth and gets his own face painted. He gets a couple sparrows painted onto one cheek, and it’s not until he’s face to face with Harry again that he realizes exactly what Harry has tattooed on his collar bones. 

Oops. 

\---

The first day of the festivities comes to a close with a bonfire, s’mores, and campfire songs sung by nearly fifty people, accompanied by Harry and Niall playing their guitars.

Somehow, Louis had missed the fact that Harry can play guitar, and he has to take a moment to wonder -with a little bit of despair- if there’s anything Harry can’t do.

The rest of the week continues in the same fashion; they spend the mornings and afternoons picking, packing, and getting ready for the next round of people, and then the evening is spent playing host.

On Thursday, it’s Louis’ turn to guide the hayrides, and he’s fully expecting Liam to be the one driving the tractor while Louis sits on the haywagon and gives the tour. 

As the wagon is filling up though, it’s not Liam who hops up onto the tractor, but Harry. Neither of them says a word, but they share a smile before Louis turns and makes sure everyone’s ready to get moving. 

There’s a little voice in the back of Louis’ mind shouting _domestic domestic kiss him_ the entire time, and Louis finds he doesn’t even want the voice to shut up.

\---

_October 20th, 10:30 P.M., Liam and Zayn’s House_

After the fun and games were done for the day, the store locked up, and all the people had cleared out, Louis finds himself at Liam and Zayn’s once again. Currently, Zayn’s upstairs showering, and Louis is enjoying a nice, hot cup of yorkshire tea with Liam. Because sometime after the Duluth trip, his tea of choice had magically appeared at all the boy’s houses. 

He takes a sip, a smug little smile tugging at his lips. 

At this point, he’s basically got them all whipped, and he’ll readily admit it.

Liam snorts a laugh as he takes a drink of his own tea, and Louis realizes his smugness may not be as much of a secret as he thought it was. Oh well, he tried.

He and Liam are debating whether or not they should change up the hayride trail, when Zayn comes down the stairs; hair wet, wearing basketball shorts and shirtless, and most importantly, holding a ziploc bag full of something green in one hand, and a pipe in the other.

“A’right, here’s how tonight’s gonna go.” He points at Liam and Louis. “I fully intend on relaxing, and you two are welcome to join me, but neither of you are allowed to say another word about the orchard until I’m once again sober. Agreed?”

\---

Liam has just said _the_ funniest thing in the world.

Don’t ask Louis to repeat it, because he has no fucking idea what he said. But it was funny. So funny that he and Zayn are both on their sides on the living room floor dying of laughter. Liam is laying on his back, hands covering his eyes because the light is too loud or something. Wait, maybe that’s what was funny.

After they calm down, Louis makes grabby hands at Zayn until he passes the bag of takis they’d found in the cupboards. After eating a couple, Liam yells ‘takis, now!’, so he throws the bag at his head. Liam giggles at the takis falling onto the floor next to his face, and Louis sighs happily as he sits back against the couch, looking over at Zayn as he does.

“Shit, I haven’t had stuff this good since uni. Where the fuck did you get it?”

Zayn grins, and gestures vaguely with his hand. “Y’know uh. Len-no. _Leon_ , across the road?”

“Wait, the guy who sells the blueberries?” Zayn nods.

“Mmhm, he grows the best shit. Gives some to us over the course of the year in return for a bushel or two of free apples. D’pends ‘ow much we get from him.” He opens his eyes then, and gives Louis a deadly serious look. “He’s the best man I’ve ever known. I’m gonna marry ‘im.”

Liam sits up, only struggling a little as he gasps. “ _Zayn_! You’re leaving me for Leon the weed guy?”

Zayn sighs dramatically. “Just followin’ me heart Li baby. It was either weed or apples.”

Louis doubles over laughing again, only stopping when the front door slams. He faintly hears Liam mumble ‘uh oh’. He’s got a few seconds to be confused, then Niall and Harry are coming through the hallway. 

Niall’s visibly pouting. It’s the cutest thing Louis has ever seen.

“Are you guys really doing this without us?”

Zayn shrugs. “You guys took too long!”

Harry makes an offended noise, and pushes in between Zayn and Louis, grabbing the pipe from Zayn as he does. “You didn’t even know we were coming over you dick. Weren’t even gonna _share_.” He takes a drag before whining, “I thought we were best friends Z.” Zayn whines sympathetically as he wraps his arms around Harry’s shoulders.

Harry just sighs, and pats Zayn’s head. Then he looks over at Louis, hands him the pipe then pinches his cheek. “How’s it going princess?” Louis smiles at him, and he knows it’s the one smile Fizzy likes to tease him about because it makes his whole face scrunch up.

“Absolutely _lovely_ now that you’re here Hazza.” Harry’s grinning now too.

“Hazza? Since when do you call me that?” Somehow, he's got the pipe back -probably snatched it from Zayn, who’d stolen it and is sitting in Liam’s lap now-, and he takes another drag.

Louis shrugs. “I dunno. You call me princess all the time, I need something more original than _curly_.”

Harry laughs, his head tipping back, and he looks looser than he’s looked in days. It’s nice. His hand has also made it’s way to Louis’ thigh, and that is _very_ nice.

“You telling me you like princess then? Gonna keep it?”

Louis opens his mouth to reply (to tell him he very much likes princess, it makes him want to call Harry something absolutely _dirty_ in return), but is interrupted by Niall.

“Oi Lou! Tell Liam to quit calling me a leprechaun. It’s bloody offensive.”

Louis sighs, and puts on his best big brother face as he’s forced to turn away from Harry.

Bloody cockblocking leprechaun.

\---

_October 21st_

Louis has just handed over the duty of manning the bobbing for apples station to Niall, and is heading over to the store to see if Zayn needs a break, when he sees Harry sitting on a haybale over by the kid’s hay maze, talking to a little group of kids, an apple in each hand, and a little group of them sitting on the bale next to him. The kids are all looking at him, entranced, and an excited shout ripples through the little group as Harry grabs a couple more apples from the pile, and starts juggling them.

Louis marvels at him a moment, the smile that’s obviously on his face even though he’s facing away from Louis, how good he is with his hands. His big, _big_ hands.

He’s a lot more relaxed today as well, the lack of bags under his eyes, his visibly less pained posture, and the quickness of his movements proving just how much he’d needed the night before.

The parents standing around all start clapping and laughing, and the kids are all scrambling to grab apples of their own and yelling ‘teach me teach me!’. It’s quite possibly the cutest thing Louis has ever seen. He’s just about to continue on to the store, when he feels a little tug on the sleeve of his -Harry’s- flannel. When he looks down, it’s to see a little girl who looks to be about five, clutching an apple to her chest and looking up at him with wide blue eyes. 

Louis crouches down immediately. “Hello love, are you alright?” 

The little girl nods, and points over at Harry. “Mama said, said ‘awwy could teach me how to-” she stops, looking pained, then uses her hands to mime juggling. Louis smiles.

“Ah you want Harry to teach you how to juggle?” She nods solemnly. “Are you too shy to go ask him?” She nods again.

“He’s big.” Louis laughs.

“Oh love, I promise he’s not as scary as he looks. What’s your name?”

“M’name is Lily. Like a flower.” She looks proud as she says it, and Louis holds out his hand.

“That’s a _beautiful_ name Lily, my name is Louis. That’s not a flower.” He makes a serious face, and she giggles, and takes his hand. “Do you want to come with me over to Harry? He’s my friend y’know, so he’ll teach you how to juggle if I tell him to.”

Her eyes widen, and she nods excitedly. He leads her over to Harry, who’s somehow managed to still have a pile of apples next to him, even after giving some away. Louis taps his shoulder, and Harry turns, a grin spreading over his face when he looks up and sees Louis.

“Hi love, did you need somet-” He sees Lily then, and smiles widely at her. “Well who are you? That’s a lovely apple you’ve got there.” She smiles bashfully, and looks up at Louis.

“Can you ask him please?”

Louis nods, and meets Harry’s expectant look. “Lily here wants me to ask you to teach her how to juggle.” He pretends to whisper at him from behind his hand. “She thinks you’re rather scary, so I’ve promised that you’re going to be nice to her, because I said so.” A look of understanding crosses over Harry’s face, and he turns to look at Lily seriously, who’s staring at him now.

“Well, I _always_ listen to Louis, so let’s get right to juggling, eh?” He grabs another smaller apple, and holds it out to her. She pulls her hand from Louis’ grip then, and Louis feels his heart melt as Harry begins to teach her how to ‘juggle’ two apples.

As he watches them, he realizes that Lily’s hair is brown and curly, just like Harry’s, and when he gets her laughing at one point, he sees she’s got a dimple as well. That, paired with her blue eyes, makes her look like she could’ve been _theirs_.

Louis gets lost a moment, thinking about having a house full of cute little blue or green eyed kids with Harry (somewhere between five and thirty, as Harry has said multiple times), cooking meals for them together, and then at the end of the day falling into bed with him. Then, waking up in the mornings to him, and running the orchard with little ones dressed in flannels trailing behind them. Harry would be such a good father, attentive, understanding, and sweet.

God, he loves Harry.

It takes his brain a few moments to really catch up to his thoughts, but when it does, and he finally realizes what he’s just thought, he momentarily loses his ability to breathe.

Holy shit. He _loves_ Harry.

He’s not entirely sure if he’s able to leave without causing a scene, but the next thing he knows, he’s hiding out in the garage, his phone out, and he’s calling his mum. She’ll know what to do, she _always_ knows what to do.

The phone rings a couple times, and he’s cursing himself because he’s just now realizing it’s five in the afternoon here, that means it’s eleven at night in England, and he’s just about to hang up and deal with his issues on his own when she picks up.

“Lou? Why are you calling? Is everything alright?”

He’s not sure what to say, and he spends so long search for a good starter that he can hear her getting frantic, and finally, he just blurts out, “Mum, I think I’m in love.”

She goes quiet on the other end for a moment, then, “With Harry, dear?” He nods, and even across a bloody ocean, she knows it. “What are you thinking sweetheart?”

He sighs. “I. He’s, he’s absolutely wonderful, he’s so funny, gentle, and he’s sweet, and mum you should see him with _kids_. I just. We haven’t even _kissed_ yet, but I love him, and I have no way of knowing if he feels the same.” He can feel his heart dropping as he says it out loud for the first time, and the weight of it has him sitting down on the ground, right in the dirt with his back pressed against the tire of Harry’s truck. “What am I gonna do mum?”

“What do you want to do?”

He thinks about it, cursing her for asking the simplest questions and making them into the hardest ones he’s ever had to answer.

“I want to kiss him. And go on dates. And maybe marry him, I don’t know.”

He can practically hear her knowing smile. “Then tell him how you feel love, getting it all out in the open is the best way you could possibly go about this.”

Louis groans. “How am I supposed to just….tell him I love him when we aren’t even _dating_? That’s just….” He trails off frustratedly, and his mum laughs.

“That’s just how the heart works sometimes Loubear, and you’re just going to have to listen to it.”

With a sigh, Louis says “Yeah, I guess you’re right.” His mum just laughs, and says, “I know.”

They say goodnight, and then hang up.

Fuck, his mum is right. 

If he wants things with Harry to progress -and he _does_ \- then he’s going to have to tell him how he feels. It might very well be the hardest thing he’s ever had to do, but he’s gonna do it. 

Somehow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys have been enjoying this fic! If you have, go reblog my post on [tumblr](http://rainbowsandgucci.tumblr.com/post/166887674930/apples-always-fall-as-i-do-for-you-status-9) about it! :)


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Halloween everyone!! Also, happy Lug day, can't believe it's been two years already :')  
> In celebration of the day, I'm also going to be posting chapter 6 today, I hope you all enjoy it! :)

_October 22nd_

Louis wakes up to his phone ringing at ten A.M., in the guest room at his aunt and uncle’s for the first time in two weeks. He picks up the phone without looking at the caller, and gets out a grumpy sounding “‘ello?”

He hears a soft chuckle on the other end, and even in his grumpy, sleepy state, he can feel his own face breaking out into a smile. “Everything alright Haz? You know I’ll see you later at Niall’s right?”

Harry huffs. “Yeah everything’s fine, did I wake you? I have something to ask you but I don’t wanna ask around the others.”

“Nah you didn’t wake me. What’s this secret question?” He totally did.

“Mmhmm, whatever you say, and it’s not a _secret_ I just don’t want them getting all dramatic.”

Louis rolls his eyes. “Why would they get dramatic?” Harry hums.

“Weeell, I was actually wondering if you wanted to come with me to that meeting I have tomorrow.”

“The one with the people from the U of M? I thought Zayn was going with.”

“Yeah, that’s what I was planning, but tomorrow’s he and Liam’s anniversary, and I figured I could take you instead, so afterward I can show you the Mall of America? Then maybe go get something to eat? If you want to anyway, you don’t have to.”

Louis smiles, the same warm feeling spreading through him that always does when he talks to Harry. “Of course I’ll come with you. I hear the Mall of America is a big deal, may as well see it with someone to act as my tour guide.”

Harry giggles. “It’s a date then, ‘s it alright if I pick you up?” 

Louis can feel himself blushing. “Of course it’s alright Haz, you know where my aunt’s place is right?”

“Of course! I always come help with the field work in the spring, I know where you are.” _That_ thought definitely shouldn’t please him as much as it does.

“It’s a date then, curly.”

“It’s a date. I’ll pick you up tomorrow at seven. Get some more sleep before coming over love, you deserve it.”

Louis bites at his knuckle. Why is Harry so _sweet_? “Okay, I’ll do that. Buh-bye curly.”

There’s a soft chuckle from the other end. “Bye princess.”

Louis can’t even bring himself to pretend he’s annoyed at the nickname anymore. They both hesitate a moment, before giggling simultaneously, then hanging up at the same time.

Louis has to hold back an excited noise, and lays back in his bed with his hands over his red face as he grins.

Yeah, he’s fucking _gone_.

\---

Louis magically does manage to get some more sleep, and doesn’t get out of bed until after noon. 

He’s able to eat, shower, and talk to his aunt a bit, before finally panicking over the fact that he’s got no idea what he’s going to wear the next day. He’s never actually had to worry about how he dresses in front of Harry, so the concept is new and put mildly, terrifying.

Eventually, after digging around in his wardrobe, he winds up calling Lottie, then skypes her as he tries to pick something out. It takes a lot of whining, and his aunt joining Lottie in critiquing his choices, before he finally decides on a pair of black skinny jeans that he cuffs up so his ankles are visible, a tight fitting gray shirt, and a black jean jacket. He’s proud of it, and both his sister and aunt approve, so he definitely counts it a win.

When he finally rolls into bed again at nearly one in the morning, after getting back from lad’s day, he knows he’ll barely sleep. 

A family of butterflies seem to have taken up residence in his stomach, and every time he closes his eyes all he can see is an image of Harry driving in the moonlight. 

He may never sleep again, thanks to Harry, but if that’s the price to pay for being in love with the most beautiful man in the world, then he’ll gladly pay it.

\---

_October 23rd, 7:00 A.M._

When Harry pulls into the yard at exactly seven, and steps out of his truck, Louis almost passes out.

First of all, Harry’s holding a rose. 

Second, he’s dressed _up_.

Louis wasn’t expecting him to wear a flannel and boots to a meeting in a city, but for some reason, he _also_ hadn’t pictured Harry ever wearing what he’s currently wearing. Which is skinny jeans that are so tight they make Louis want to peel them off of him, a tan, wide brimmed hat, a pair of black _heeled chelsea boots what the fuck_ , and quite possibly the most offensive thing about his entire outfit, he’s wearing a sheer white button up. 

That’s only got three buttons _actually_ buttoned.

He has a fucking _butterfly_ tattooed on his chest.

When he steps out onto the front porch, Harry starts smiling, and when he reaches Louis, hands him the rose. Louis takes it with a smile firmly on his own face, and bites his lip as he looks up at Harry.

“This is lovely Harry, but you didn’t have to-”

Harry’s already shaking his head. “Don’t even start Lou, it's a _date_ remember? I knew you’d protest so I only got you one this time, but next time you’re getting the entire bouquet. Alright?”

Louis rolls his eyes fondly. “Fine, I won’t argue this time, but you’re letting me buy you something today.” Internally, he’s repeating the words _next time next time next time_.

Harry looks resigned as he nods. “If that’ll keep you from complaining when I buy you thirty flowers next time, then I guess it works.”

He doesn’t wait for Louis’ outraged reply, just wraps his arm around his waist and tells him to go put the rose in some water, so they can get going. Louis huffs, but does as Harry tells him. Insufferable, that man is, really.

When Louis gets into the truck, Harry’s playing the Grease soundtrack, and Louis yells in excitement as he turns the volume up. Harry just laughs, and watches him with obvious wonder as Louis begins to sing _look at me, I’m Sandra Dee_. Loudly, and perfectly, of course.

We Go Together plays next, and Louis is absolutely thrilled to find out Harry knows every single word. 

Wordlessly, when You’re the One That I Want starts playing, they both agree on who’s singing what part. Harry shrieking out _it’s electrifyin’!_ Isn’t something Louis ever thought he _needed_ to hear, but it’s _perfect_ and silly, and they’re laughing as they’re singing. Louis has never been happier.

Eventually, the soundtrack ends, and Harry lets Louis go through his music and pick what to play in the background as they talk. Louis picks Talk Dirty To Me by Poison, and basks in Harry’s wide eyes as the opening notes play, before he starts talking about the first thing that pops into his head.

Fucking with Harry is _fun_ he decides, when Harry takes a couple seconds longer than normal to respond to what he says.

\---

The meeting with the two professors from the University of Minnesota is had in a coffee shop in Bloomington, and from what Louis gathers, is about Harry testing out different breeds of apple trees that they come up with. It all is very _scientific_ , and Louis is more than impressed when Harry seems to know what he’s talking about when they start discussing the cell structures of different apples. 

Things end on a positive note, with the professors saying they’ll get the contract drawn up within the next couple weeks, and Harry seems excited as they leave the coffee shop. He’s talking animatedly about all the opportunities that will come with the deal, and then halfway to the Mall of America, his excited chatter turns into how excited he is to show it to Louis.

It’s not until they step out of the truck in the parking ramp, and Louis is shivering at the chill in the air, that he looks at Harry’s outfit, and.

“Harold, how the _fuck_ aren’t your nipples frozen off?”

Harry laughs loudly, and shrugs. “It’s not _that_ cold out babe, wait until December.” Louis shakes his head. He’s fallen in love with a mad man.

“You’re _mad_ , it’s like, nearly freezing out and you’re dressed like it’s spring!” Harry just continues laughing at him, even as he opens the door into the building for him. How he manages to be the perfect mix of asshole and gentleman is still a mystery.

\---

The Mall of America really is just…..wow. It’s four floors of a shopaholic’s heaven, plus a food court, and the added bonus of a literal _indoor theme park_.

By the time he and Harry actually sit down for lunch in a secluded corner of the food court, his feet are worn out from all the walking, and his arms are tired from holding bags of things he’d bought for himself and his sisters and brother and parents. He also bought a flannel for Harry, as a joke mostly, because _flannels_ , but when he’d shown it to Harry, he’d been absolutely thrilled with the pink and grays of it that he’d put it on over his shirt right there in the mall.

Harry had stubbornly insisted on carrying a majority of Louis’ bags after that, and though Louis still carried some of them, he couldn’t say no.

He’s having the time of his life, because Harry’s just as much a shopper as Louis is, and he’s content with stopping in any store Louis wants. As far as dates go, it’s the best one Louis has ever been on, along with the one at the Fall Festival.

They probably only go into a quarter of all the possible stores in the mall, but it’s nearing six already, and Louis is ready to fall asleep standing up, so they _do_ leave eventually. 

Louis isn’t expecting it, but halfway back to his aunt and uncle’s, Harry turns into the parking lot of a small diner in a random town, and tells him he’s getting him dinner too.

Louis pouts at him, even as Harry parks the truck and shuts it off. “Harry, you really don’t have to, you bought me a rose, and my breakfast at the coffee shop, _and_ you bought my lunch at the mall. You really don’t have to buy me _dinner_ too.”

Harry walks around to Louis’ side, and opens the door for him, just like he’d been doing the rest of the night, and pouts at him as he helps him hop down from the truck. “Just let me do this Lou, please? I told you I was taking you out as a date, so this is me doing that.” Louis stares at him a moment, really _really_ wanting to continue protesting, but Harry just looks so earnest, and his bottom lip is still sticking out pitifully, and he just looks so _cute_ , Louis can only sigh.

“ _Fine_ , but only because your bottom lip being stuck out like that is making you look like a toddler.”

Harry’s pout seems to magically disappear then, replaced by a soft smile that he only seems to wear when he’s looking at Louis. He steps closer to Louis, a hand coming up to cradle Louis’ cheek. “Thank you love, I just want to treat you the way you ought to be treated.” Louis doesn’t reply, just leans closer into Harry, and Harry sighs, the sound almost wistful. “You’re _precious_ , Lou, and I’m going to spoil you rotten until you realize that I’m not going to stop.” Louis lets out a surprised breath, and Harry looks like he’s struggling with himself for a moment, before he moves in closer, stopping just a breath away from Louis’ lips, and strokes Louis’ cheek with his thumb. Louis’ eyelashes flutter, and he breathes out a quiet _please_.

That seems to be all Harry can take, because the next second, he’s got Louis pushed up against his truck, his body pushed up against Louis’, and they’re _kissing_.

Louis gasps into it, his hands coming up and resting on Harry’s shoulders, giving him leverage to push up into the kiss before he pushes onto his tiptoes and wraps his arms the rest of the way around the back of Harry’s neck. Harry’s other hand is squeezing at his hip, and Louis is both firmly aware of every part of Harry touching him, and also numb to everything but Harry’s lips on his.

He’s sure he could stay like this the rest of his life, with Harry pressed up against him, biting at his lips and his tongue doing absolutely _sinful_ things that Louis wants him to repeat on other parts of his body, but then Harry’s pulling away, and moving down to his neck and sucking a bruise onto it, and Louis decides that _that’s_ how he wants to spend the rest of the life.

If things were to go Louis’ way, they’d stay out in the parking lot of a diner making out for at _least_ another fifteen minutes. As it is, headlights suddenly make themselves known, approaching from the other side of the truck, and Harry pulls away just as another vehicle pulls into the parking lot. 

Louis feels drugged, is the first thing that comes to mind to describe how he’s feeling. After a look at Harry’s dilated eyes, heaving chest, and red (like an apple) lips, Louis decides he must feel the same. They stare at each other few seconds, both trying to calm their breathing, and then they both start _giggling_.

It’s the oddest thing, standing there giggling with the man he’s just been making out with, both of them _clearly_ turned on, but it feels so right, that Louis almost blurts out _I love you_ right then and there.

He doesn’t though, and the moment passes, then Harry’s holding out his hand for him to take.

“Well, now we’ve sufficiently worked up an appetite, let’s go eat.” That sends Louis into another fit of giggles as he grabs Harry’s hand, and they walk into the diner with big grins on their faces.

\---

When they finally pull into Louis’ aunt’s yard, it’s nearly eleven, and Can’t Fight This Feeling by REO Speedwagon is playing quietly. Louis doesn’t get out of the truck right away, and they continue to talk for another half an hour. 

Harry helps Louis get all his bags into the house, and then they stand out on the porch for another ten minutes, Louis pushed against the side of the house as Harry sucks love bites onto his neck, his collar bones, and over his _It is what it is_ tattoo.

They only separate because Harry tells him they both absolutely _have_ to get some sleep, because if they both show up at the orchard the next day looking like they haven’t, the lads won’t let them live it down. Louis agrees -sadly- and he watches as Harry walks back to his truck, and gets in. As he leaves, he rolls the windows down, and cranks the radio up.

He’s playing (I Just) Died in Your Arms as loud as he possibly can as he waves to Louis, and Louis just _laughs_.

He stands out on the porch, listening until he can’t hear the song anymore, and then, he he has to wait another few minutes, to calm his giggling, before finally turning around and going into the house.

\---

_October 24th_

When Louis is getting dressed for the day, he throws on a sweatshirt to cover up his love bites, because he’s got to work with _kids_ later, it’s just not appropriate.

He greets the rest of the guys like he normally does, and is going about his day normally, until he sees Harry. Harry walks out of the shed, both he and Louis’ picking bags over his shoulder, looking pleased to see Louis like usual, until he gets closer, and his eyes narrow. Then, he just stands there a few seconds, staring.

“Uh. Harry? You okay?” Harry doesn’t answer him, just pushes the picking bags off his shoulder, and onto the ground, then grabs Louis’ hand and begins pulling him in the direction of the garage. Louis follows willingly, albeit a little confused. “Harry _what_ are you doing? You do know we’ve got a lot of apples to pick right? Like, so many even Niall will yell at us if we don’t get it done, we really-”

Harry shoves him up against the garage wall, his hands gripping Louis’ waist, and Louis breaks off with a gasp. Harry smirks at him, and squeezes his hands, putting pressure on Louis’ hips. “I need you to be quiet for me, don’t want anyone coming back here, do we?”

Louis shakes his head. He’s a little confused though, why would he have to be quiet if Harry’s going to kiss hi-

Harry drops to his knees, right there on the dirt floor, and a light bulb goes off.

“Oh my fucking-Harry please oh my go-”

Harry’s shaking his head, even as he starts to lift Louis’ shirt. “What did I say princess?”

Louis sucks in a breath, and brings his hand up to bite at his knuckles as he whimpers. Harry smirks, and leans forward, pressing a kiss to Louis’ tummy. “Good boy.” Louis has to fight back another whimper, which turns into a moan as Harry’s hands slide down his hips, and start pushing at the waistband of his jeans.

Of course, he takes his sweet time; pressing kisses lower and lower, and not undoing the button of the jeans until he absolutely _has_ to. When he finally does, and pushes them down without dislodging Louis’ boxers, Louis _whines_ , and moves his hand from his mouth to start tugging at Harry’s curls.

“Harry _please_ I want-”

Harry grabs his wrist, and pins it to Louis’ side, glaring up at him as he does. And that shouldn’t be hot, but Harry is _inches_ away from where Louis is hard, so so hard, so it is.

“What did I tell you love?” Louis swallows, and pulls his hand out of Harry’s grasp to bring it back up to his mouth. He can feel Harry’s breath on his cock, and he swears he’s going to die.

“N-No sounds.”

Harry nods, and rests his hands back on Louis’ hips, humming. Louis is expecting a response, but instead, Harry pulls his boxers down, and _oh_.

Keeping quiet is difficult, but not quite as difficult as Louis thought it would be. He’s definitely chalking that up to Harry’s incredibly skills rendering him speechless. Definitely not because Harry had told him to be quiet.

He’s grateful really, because the word sitting on the tip of his tongue is naughty, and he’s glad he has a reason not to say it.

Harry teases something awful, with his fingers running up and down Louis’ side, sending shivers, and his other hand moving behind Louis to squeeze at his ass. Meanwhile, he’s alternating between kissing Louis’ tummy and his thighs, until he’s _finally_ pressing a kiss where Louis desperately needs it.

He absolutely whines this time, even his knuckles in his mouth can’t keep it quiet. “Haz-Harry _please_.”

Harry shushes him, the hand on his side going for soothing, and then he guides Louis’ cock into his mouth, and starts sucking. 

There’s no way Louis can stay quiet, not with the way Harry’s mouth feels around him. It’s heaven, after days, weeks, _months_ of waiting, and staying quiet is the last thing on his mind. 

Luckily, Harry doesn’t seem to mind so much anymore about the noise. Though when Louis tries to tug at his hair again, both of his hands get firmly trapped by one of Harry’s much larger ones. Louis isn’t complaining.

When the pleasure begins to build, his whines get higher, and he starts pulling at Harry’s hold on his wrists. “Harry I’m gonna- fuck I-can I-”

There’s a squeeze to his wrists, and Louis takes that as what it is -permission-, and comes. 

Harry, because he’s _perfect_ , swallows, and when he stands back up to kiss Louis after tucking him back into his clothes, he can taste himself on Harry’s tongue. Fuck. 

When Harry pulls away from him, he’s smiling, a soft little smile that Louis has begun to call his Louis smile. 

Louis is still gasping, and his jeans unbuttoned. “W-What was that all about?”

Harry shrugs, not even bothering to look abashed. “You’ve never worn a sweatshirt here before, made you look all soft and fuckable.”

“Haaarry stop.” Louis’ blushing, and he leans forward into Harry’s chest. Harry just chuckles, and wraps his arms around him.

“Don’t think I will love. You were so good I can’t.” Louis grins against Harry’s shirt.

“Oi you’re a big sap aren’t you?”

Harry just hums in agreement, and they both fall quiet for a few moments, before Harry reminds him in between kissing at his jaw they actually have shit to get done today, and they break apart. It’s not until they’re both grabbing their picking bags, that Louis gasps.

“Wait Harry, did you want me to-”

Harry huffs out a laugh, and wraps his arm around Louis’ waist as he starts leading them out of the garage. “You’re fine love, wanted to make you feel good.” He pinches at Louis’ side. “Besides, you can repay me later.”

And, well. Can’t argue with that, can he?

\---

_October 31st 9:30 P.M._

The Halloween festivities have officially come to an end, and everyone is relieved.

Louis didn’t think it was possible for five people to look so relaxed while cleaning up, but it would seem that two weeks of madness have done exactly that. Even as Louis is driving the tractor -which he’s proud to say he’s gotten _very_ good at- into the garage, he feels calm, and it’s a nice feeling.

He catches Harry staring at him as he backs the tractor into the garage, a proud grin on his face and his arms crossed and making his shoulders look wide and…….

Okay, Louis is definitely still thinking about the _thing_ that happened a few days ago. He can’t help it really. It catches him off guard a lot, how easily he slips into just thinking about Harry’s strong, calloused hands, or his pretty, pink lips wrapped around his cock. That gets him thinking about _Harry’s_ cock, and well. That just makes him remember that he has yet to reciprocate, and that just leads to more daydreaming.

It’s a vicious cycle.

Eventually, they manage to get everything put away, and, because it’s _Halloween_ it’s time to _party_.

In this case, party is loosely translated to mean sitting in Harry’s living room, drinking Jim Beam mixed with coke, and watching horror movies.

Somehow, they all manage to pile onto the sectional, squeezed together with nearly twenty blankets and as many pillows as they can fit between them and on top of them.

Liam is pressed onto the long end, Zayn in between his legs. Niall is pressed right up against him, with his body angled so Harry can lay halfway on him, and Louis is practically on top of Harry.

They watch Nightmare on Elm Street, the first Friday the 13th, the IT remake, a couple paranormal activities, and then finally, Child’s Play. By the time Child’s Play starts up, Liam, Zayn, and Niall are all asleep, leaving Harry and Louis to talk quietly in between the exciting bits.

“What’s your favorite part about owning the orchard?”

Harry hums softly, his hand moving in Louis’ hair like it has been for the last movie and a half. “I think it’s a toss-up between working with people, the nice ones anyway, and the actual like, farming the apples themselves.” At Louis’ questioning look, he shrugs. “It’s like….um. I like being able to see the trees grow, and knowing I did it? Like, I know when all of the trees were planted, when they’ll be ready to pick from; I know where I got them from, and when they actually produce something that I’m able to share with others and make a living off of it’s just….” He looks slightly embarrassed, and shrugs again, focusing intently on Louis’ hair. “I like knowing I’m _doing_ something, enjoying it, and making others happy as well; instead of just wasting my life away in some building doing something I’ll never get enough thanks for. At least this way I’ve got sweet little Mandy from the health center bringing me cookies for my hard work.”

Louis huffs out a laugh. He gets what Harry’s saying, is the thing. Like, actually _gets_ it. If the past couple months have shown him anything, it’s that he hates his life back in England.

With every little thing he’s learned here at the orchard, with Harry, Liam, Zayn, and Niall, he’s dreaded going back to England more and more.

Here, on the orchard, he’s _useful_ , and he feels appreciated.

He’s learned how to pick apples quickly, so he can keep up with Harry even when he’s got to use the ladder. He can pack apples faster than really should be possible, and somehow he knows just by feeling an apple whether it’s bad or not. He can lift heavy things easier now, Niall’s teaching him how to use the packing machine, and Zayn can take more than a ten minute break now because he _trusts_ Louis to run the store without him.

Back at his job in England, he can’t even get a fucking thank you from his boss after pulling an all nighter.

He’d thought that in falling in love with Harry, he’d given him his heart. In actuality, Louis is beginning to realize Harry’s only helped him find it.

Turns out, Louis’ heart is on an orchard, in the middle of Minnesota, completely intertwined with the heart of the green eyed man of his dreams.

As Louis sighs and closes his eyes, finally letting himself be lulled to sleep by Harry’s hands, he realizes there’s nowhere he’d rather be.

\---

_November 1st, 1:00 P.M. In the Pumpkin Patch_

They’re picking pumpkins, the last few stragglers that hadn’t ripened before the first frost. Louis’ arms are tired, but they’re not killing him like they’d have been a couple months prior. He’s more than a little pleased with himself. 

Harry’s got music playing, his bluetooth speaker set on the tractor, and he’s singing along. It’s the song Girl Crush by some country band Louis still doesn’t know the name of even though Harry plays the song a _lot_. 

He sounds amazing, is the thing, and Louis usually thinks that, but today he can’t quite keep it to himself.

“Anyone ever told you that you can actually sing really well?”

Harry pauses mid chorus, and shrugs as he heaves a large pumpkin onto the trailer. “Couple times I s’pose. I almost tried out for the X-Factor when I was younger. So.” He finishes the sentence with a cheeky kind of hand gesture.

“What really?”

“Mmhm, Zayn and I were both going to actually, but you had to be sixteen for it, and my birthday was a day too late for me to make the cut off. Zayn’s shy, so he wasn’t gonna do it without me.”

Louis scoffs disbelievingly. “A _day_?” Harry giggles, and nods. “Mate that’s bullshit.”

Harry just shrugs. “It is what it is I guess, I decided to go into lawyering after that; until I decided I didn’t want to do that, and went into computer shit. Did a bit of work for Apple, nothing big.” Louis snorts.

“Yeah ‘nothing big’, which is how you had enough money at-what? Twenty? Twenty one? To buy an entire _orchard_?”

Now Harry’s _blushing_ , and, oh. That’s never happened before. Louis laughs softly.

“What is this a ‘ _thing_ ’?” He makes finger quotes. “Were you a genius or somethin’?”

Harry’s still blushing. “Or somethin’ I guess.” At Louis’ expectant look, he looks away, still looking bashful. “Uh, well. Zayn and I, we actually met when I was like....nine? At a, uh, summer camp? For like, gifted kids, like, kids who knew how to work with computers and shit, or numbers. I’m good with computers, Zayn’s good at numbers. ‘s why he runs the shop and handles the finances.” 

Louis’ mouth is open and he’s stopped tugging at the pumpkin he’d been trying to pick. “So you’re _literally_ some sort of bloody computer genius?” He’d thought Niall was _kidding_.

“No! No god no just....I have a knack. For computers. It’s not like, special. Or anything.” He fumbles with the pumpkin in his hands, then, and Louis is beginning to think maybe this _is_ a big thing.

While he’s curious, he’s not _invasive_ , so he shrugs and goes to set a pumpkin on the trailer. “Y’know I almost tried out for the X-Factor too.”

Harry’s eyebrows go up, and he laughs incredulously. “What? No way.”

Louis laughs. “Yeah actually. I’d just graduated and was looking for something that didn’t require me getting a grown up job.” Harry shakes his head disbelievingly, and Louis makes an offended noise. “I’m serious! I got up the day of and everything!” Harry holds his hands up in surrender, and rests his back up against the wagon with his arms crossed.

“Well what happened?”

“Ah y’know” Louis shrugs, and looks down at his hands. “Nerves and real life caught up to me, convinced myself to just….not do it I guess? Helps I didn’t tell me mum about it, or she’d have definitely made me go through with it.” 

He looks up to see Harry staring at him, a soft and fond look on his face. “What year were you gonna try out?”

“Uh think it was two thousand ten? I was eighteen, jesus. Feels like it was so long ago.” Harry’s eyes have gone wide. “What?”

Harry shakes his head, and now he looks amused. “Nothing I just,” He chuckles. “That’s when Z and I were gonna try out too.”

Louis blinks. “Huh.”

“Yeah.” Another chuckle. “Huh. We could’ve met like, almost ten years earlier.”

Louis shakes his head too. “Well fuck.”

Harry laughs, and tosses him a water bottle before taking a drink out of his own. When he finishes, he shakes his head and puts the bottle on the trailer. Then, he grins at Louis.

“Life huh?”

They laugh, and lapse into a comfortable silence as they continue picking. 

When they finish, Harry goes into the box on the side of the tractor and pulls out a bag of sandwiches, and some cans of soda. Because it’s _soda_ no matter how much everyone else tells him to call it _pop_.

They sit in the grass on the edge of the field as they eat. It’s surprisingly nice out, even though the last week has been cold as _balls_ ; Harry promises him the nice weather won’t last, and tells him to expect things to get a lot colder quickly. Louis is looking forward to snow, as it’s not exactly something he’s seen a lot of.

They’re halfway through their meal, when Harry clears his throat.

“Hey, so. Do you wanna go to a party Friday night?”

“What kind of party? Where?”

Harry shrugs one shoulder nonchalantly. “Do you know who Nick Grimshaw is?”

Louis nods. “The annoying twat from BBC?”

Harry snorts, and reaches for one of the apples he’d had along. “Yep, him. He’s throwing a party in the cities for the whole iHeartradio jingle ball thing I think. I wasn’t really listening.”

Louis doesn’t say anything, just stays quiet as he waits for Harry to start laughing or something. When he doesn’t, and just continues staring at him expectantly as he crunches on his apple, Louis laughs.

“Well, do tell, how are we getting in? You catering now?”

_Now_ Harry laughs, and takes another bite of his apple, a smug look on his face. “Nah not catering. I’m kind of like the guest of honor though. I’m pretty much the entire reason he’s having his annual party here instead of like, LA or something. He’s sick of me making excuses to not go, so he’s bringing the party to me.” Louis rolls his eyes, and tosses the crust from his sandwich at his head.

“Oh come on, be serious. What party are you _actually_ taking me to? Are the church ladies having a potluck?”

Now Harry looks offended, and his lips form into a pout as he picks crust from his hair. “But I am being serious Lou!”

Louis shakes his head, and lays back in the grass. “You’re not as cool as you think you are curly!” He hears Harry let out an affronted gasp, and smirks. 

A few moments later, there’s shuffling, and then there’s a tap to his nose. When he squints open his eyes, Harry’s leaning over him, and holding out his phone. Louis scrunches up his nose, and grunts. Harry giggles, and gestures his phone out.

“Here kitten, look.” Louis huffs at him, but grabs the phone anyway. 

“Where do you get all these nickna-oh.”

_Oh_. Because on Harry’s phone, is a picture of him with Nick Grimshaw. On Nick Grimshaw’s instagram profile. 

They’re both smiling big goofy smiles, and wearing matching button up floral shirts. 

Louis groans, and hands the phone back to Harry, cheeks coloring slightly.

“Well. When is this party then?” Harry starts laughing, and Louis’ cheeks get redder. He brings his hands up to cover his face, whining, “ _Harry stop it_ , how the fuck was I supposed to know you were being serious about knowing a celebrity?”

Harry just laughs again, and pulls Louis’ hands away from his face with his own, as he rolls on top of him. He’s straddling Louis’ waist now, his hands pinning Louis’ to his chest with one hand while the other strokes softly down Louis’ cheek. Louis’ lips part slightly, and he sighs a little. 

“Harry…..”

Harry just hums, and lowers his head. He starts pressing kisses along Louis’ jaw, and Louis sighs again, tilting his head back so Harry can move his kisses lower. He gets the hint, and starts kissing down Louis’ neck, sucking and nipping on the underside of his jaw. Louis lets out a moan, and squirms under Harry. Harry grins against his throat, and puts more pressure on his hips.

“You’re a bit restless aren’t you love?” Louis groans. 

“Not _restless_ you’re just a bloody _tease_.” 

Harry laughs again. “Think you just need to learn some patience, maybe need someone to make you wait, huh?” Louis gasps. That’s a little too close. Harry quirks an eyebrow, and squeezes harder at Louis’ wrists. “Does that sound good princess? You need me to hold you down? Teach you how to be good?”

Louis whines, and bucks his hips slightly. “Yes I-Da- _ah_ -Harry I-” He cuts himself off with a moan.

Harry runs his fingers through Louis’ hair. “You’re so good for me already sweets, just wait until I get you in my bed, naked. You’ll be so good for me, so, so pretty….” He nips at Louis’ bottom lip then, and kisses him. 

When they pull away, Louis whines, and pushes up into Harry’s hold. “Harry I-I want to-Want to get you off. Please?”

Harry groans, and nips at Louis’ jaw. “Shit sweetheart, you want to make me feel good? Show me how good you can be?” Louis nods vigorously.

“ _Please_ Harry, I’ll be so good for you.”

“Fuck. Yeah princess, touch me.” He rolls off of Louis then, and pulls him on top of his thighs. A thrill runs through Louis at just how _easy_ it is for Harry to manhandle him, as he makes quick work of Harry’s jeans. 

When he finally gets them open, and gets a hand wrapped around Harry’s cock, he moans. “Fuck, Haz you’re so-” He trails off, and looks up at Harry.

Harry’s biting his lip, and his hand comes up to the back of Louis’ head. “Yeah sweetheart, all for you, c’mon.” He tugs a little at Louis’ hair, and Louis whines as he ducks down to pull Harry into his mouth.

Harry lets out a loud moan, and his grip on Louis’ hair gets tighter. He lets Louis set the pace a few minutes, before starting to move his hips. 

It’s _amazing_ , and it’s all Louis can do to not reach a hand down and start palming himself in his jeans.

“Fuck Lou, baby you’re so fucking-” He trails off with a groan as Louis takes him in deeper. “Shit baby you’re so good for me, such a good princess for me, right?” Louis whimpers, and starts moving his own hips in time with Harry’s. 

He can feel Harry’s thrusts starting to get sloppier, and Harry’s voice is getting breathier. “Fuck angel, you want me inside you so bad, don’t you? Want me inside your tight little body? Making you feel good?”

Louis can’t help it, he whines and brings his hand down to touch himself, and barely rocks his hips into his hand a handful of times before he’s coming. 

A little bit later, Harry pushes Louis down, and then he’s coming as well, right into Louis’ mouth.

And Louis wants to be good for Harry, so he swallows.

Harry sucks in a breath, and tucks himself back into his jeans as soon as Louis pulls off, just so he can grab Louis and pull him into a kiss. Louis gladly goes with it, lets Harry taste himself on his tongue, and sighs happily when Harry slowly rolls them back over, Louis’ wrists somehow finding their way back into Harry’s hand.

They’re still kissing; Louis’ wrists held tight in Harry’s hand, and Louis’ body pinned tight by Harry’s, when they hear shouting coming from the direction of the store. They freeze, Harry’s body still holding Louis’ in place. Gradually, the yelling gets louder until they can make it out.

It’s Liam, yelling obnoxiously. “-fuck in front of my tractor you wankers! There’s work to be done!”

Harry groans, and sits up, letting his grip on Louis’ wrists slacken until they’re only in a loose hold. “Fuck off Lima bean! Don’t pretend you and Zayn weren’t defiling my honeycrisps just this morning!”

There’s a loud cackle that could be no one else but Niall, and then Liam’s shouting some cuss words at him. 

Harry shakes his head, laughing, and turns back to Louis. Louis is smiling up at him, and Harry’s face immediately softens.

“Our friends are the worst.”

Louis giggles. “I’m beginning to think they’re plotting against us.” 

With a loud bark of a laugh, Harry presses a kiss to the back of Louis’ hand as he rolls off of him, and onto his back next to him, breathing out a sated sigh.

“So, do you wanna come with us to the party on Friday?”

Louis starts laughing, a deep belly laugh. “Oh my god yes I’ll go to the fucking celebrity party with you, you idiot.”

Harry’s laughing now too, and they lay there a few more minutes before Harry’s phone starts vibrating with a call from Zayn.

And it’s back to work they go.


	6. Chapter 6

_November 3rd_

It’s not until Louis gets into the guest room at his aunt’s house the day before the party, that he realizes he’s not entirely sure what he’s supposed to wear.

It’s a celebrity party, for one thing. Where everyone will undoubtedly be dressed to the nines in the likes of Gucci and Bradburry. Will they be wearing suits? Should he wear a suit? Skinny jeans? A tie? 

He sits down on the bed and groans.

Then, he pulls out his phone and calls Zayn, who answers after just one ring.

“Wassup?”

“What the fuck do I wear?”

There’s an amused sound from Zayn’s end. “I was honestly thinking you’d at _least_ wait until tomorrow at work to bring it up, where’d your dignity go?”

Louis groans, and flops backwards onto the bed. “I’ve been wearing nothing but _flannels_ for two months and you think I have _dignity_?! What even is dignity anymore?” He sounds pitiful now, and he’s fully aware of it. “Please _please_ help me? ‘ve never been to a party hosted by _Nick fucking Grimshaw_ before.”

Zayn snorts. “It’s just Grimmy, jesus christ Lou, he’s actually pretty chill.” 

“Yeah but he’s famous Zayn!” 

There’s snickering from the other end, and Louis gasps. “You have me on speaker!” 

“No I don't.” He sounds way too innocent.

“Yes you bloody well do, Liam I know you’re there!”

There’s a sigh, then Liam is speaking. “Hey Lou.”

“Uh I’m here too.” Ah, Niall.

Louis pinches the bridge of his nose. “Are you _all_ there?”

Liam hums. “Nah, Harry’s in the shower.” 

Well. That’s a nice thought.

“I hate you guys.” 

They all laugh, wankers. 

Zayn clears his throat. “Anyway, you needed help?”

“Yeah,” Louis sighs, “desperately.”

“Well, what happened to all the expensive clothes your stubborn ass kept wearing here your first few weeks?” 

“They’re not nice enough!”

“Lou just wear your tightest skinny jeans, and hey, do you wanna borrow a shirt from me? I think we’re about the same size.” 

“That sounds great Zaynie, did you-“

“Hey is that Lou?” And that’s Harry, with Liam the one replying.

“Yeah man, wardrobe issues.” 

“Ooh he’s early, hi Lou!”

Louis can feel himself smiling against his will. “Hi, how was your shower love?” He hears Zayn scoff.

“Oh shut up you just seen each other like two hours ago. Lou why don’t you just come over? We’re all at Niall’s, he wants us to have a movie night and I was gonna text you and ask you to join us anyway.”

“Okay I’ll be over in a bit, should I plan on sleeping over?”

“Mmm I don't-hey Ni! Are we all sleeping over tonight?” There’s something said that Louis can’t quite make out, then Zayn speaks again. “Sweet, yeah we’re sleeping over.”

Louis nods, already up and throwing his clothes for the next day into a bag. “Kay I’ll be there in ten, don’t start the movie without me.”

“Alright Lou, see you in a few.” There’s a chorus of ‘bye’s’ yelled from the rest of the lads, that lasts so long Zayn just has to hang up.

Louis hangs up laughing, shaking his head fondly as he goes to grab his toothbrush. 

He loves the group of idiots, he really does.

\---

_November 4th, 7:00 P.M._

The hours are counting down to the party, and Louis is nervous as shit.

He’d talked to Niall earlier in the day, trying to get some sort of feel for what the thing was going to even be like. All he’d found out was there would be some famous as _shit_ people there, and Louis was in no way prepared to even be in the same room as them.

Now, he’s standing in front of the body length mirror in his aunt’s bathroom judging his outfit and seriously considering just not going. He’s wearing his tightest skinny jeans (they’re black, rolled up and artfully ripped), black pumas, a borrowed Gucci shirt from Zayn, and a leather jacket that Liam swore made him look fuckable. 

To be quite honest, Louis is still a little stuck on the fact that Zayn just had a _Gucci_ shirt laying around to lend to him.

He sighs, and then his phone buzzes.

Shit.

It’s Niall, texting him to ask him where the fuck he is.

With one last comb through his hair with his fingers he exits the bathroom, and yells for his aunt to tell her he’s leaving. She gives him a hug goodbye, and he’s out the door.

They’d all agreed to meet up at Niall’s; after showering and changing. Louis had also chosen to shave, something he hasn’t done since early October and he has _desperately_ needed.

When he reaches Niall’s, Liam and Zayn’s car is parked out front already, but Harry’s truck is nowhere to be seen. The other three are all stood out on Niall’s front porch, and Louis has to stop and stare.

“Holy shit you lot clean up nice don’t you?”

Niall and Zayn both lift up their beers in cheers, Liam apparently the designated driver due to the lack of alcohol in his hand. He’s wearing an expensive looking red velvet suit jacket, with a white pressed shirt underneath it and a pair of black jeans with it. Zayn’s wearing a black jacket with a white floral design going down the arms, a gray sweater underneath that, and black jeans similar to Liam’s. Niall’s wearing a navy colored suede jacket, over a white shirt, and jeans that nearly match the jacket.

Louis’ nerves calm just slightly after getting a good look at them. Maybe he’s _not_ so underdressed.

As Louis climbs up the steps to the porch, Niall comes over and drapes an arm around his shoulders. “You’re not lookin’ too bad yourself Tommo, Harry’s probably gonna pass out.” Louis smacks at Niall’s arm.

“Oi fuck off Horan, or I’ll say something about a certain someone who’s been texting you an awful lot lately. What’s the cutie’s name? Shawn?”

Niall just smacks the back of his head gently, and Louis giggles as he goes into the house to grab a beer as well.

When he comes back, Harry’s truck is just pulling up into the yard.

He’s not sure exactly what he’s expecting when Harry steps out of the vehicle; maybe a flashy jacket or something on par with what everyone else is wearing. Maybe even another half unbuttoned sheer shirt like Harry wore on their date.

He’s right about the sheer shirt anyway.

When Harry steps out of his truck, he’s wearing a black suit. It’s _sparkling_.

As Harry walks closer to the deck, everyone else calls out their hello’s and compliments. Louis just stares.

Harry’s suit was definitely made for him; the flared pants hug his hips just right and the jacket tucks into his waist _perfectly_. The shirt he’s wearing underneath the unbuttoned jacket is a sheer white, and as Harry gets closer Louis can see little transparent apple blossoms on it. 

Because of course, Louis thinks a little hysterically.

There’s little yellow spots on the suit, and it takes Louis a minute, but eventually he realizes they’re _bees_. Harry’s wearing a black sparkly suit decorated with bees, with a see through shirt underneath it that’s covered in apple blossoms. His fingers are also adorned with what looks like ten large rings, he’s wearing _chelsea boots_ for fuck’s sake.

When Harry’s standing in front of him finally, Louis realizes he’s smirking (is that _lipstick?!_ ) and toying with the cuffs of his sleeve. 

“Well don’t you look lovely?”

Louis swallows, and drags his eyes up Harry’s body until they’re making eye contact. “Uh. I could say the same for you.”

Harry laughs, throwing his head back with it, and rests a hand on the back of Louis’ head as he leans forward to press a kiss to Louis’ forehead. “Thank you love.” He turns his head to look at the others, who are talking amongst themselves, then back to Louis. The smirk is back on his face, and he leans in close to Louis’ ear as he speaks in a hushed tone. “Though as lovely as that jacket looks on you, I must say I’d much rather see it off.”

Louis’ cheeks heat up, and Harry just winks at him before turning around to go into the house. “Get ready to go lads, I’m just gonna check my eyeliner before the driver gets here.”

Louis almost groans. He’s wearing _eyeliner_.

Then he realizes what Harry had said. 

“The driver?”

The other three laugh, and Liam shrugs. “Yeah the driver, we’ve got a limo taking us there.”

When Louis just stares, Zayn giggles. “We’re all wearing shit like Gucci and Armani, you think _we’re_ gonna do the driving?”

Louis fish mouths, then nods. “Yeah I uh. Guess that makes sense.” He clears his throat, then gestures with his thumb in the direction Harry had gone. “So um…….”

Niall looks in the direction he’s pointing, looking confused. “What’re you…” He seems to figure it out, because his eyebrows raise. “Oooooh. The suit?”

Louis nods. “Uh and the rings? And the makeup? The _heeled boots_? Since when has literally _any of that_ been a thing?” 

Zayn laughs, and pulls his phone out of his pocket. “He used to dress like that all the time when we lived in London. Was a bit ridiculous actually, everyone was always surprised when they found out he owned some sweatpants that weren’t designer.” He hands the phone to Louis, as Liam snorts.

“Yeah, _some_ of his sweatpants. The others were definitely designer.” Zayn and Niall both laugh and Louis arches an eyebrow. He turns his attention to the phone, and his jaw immediately drops.

The picture on screen is of Harry at what looks like a party, wearing a black suit with tiny flowers all over it. He scrolls, and the next picture is Harry standing next to Niall, wearing skinny jeans and a pink bomber that’s undoubtedly Gucci. In the next he’s wearing a yellow suit with flowers on it. The next, it’s blue with flowers on it. There’s even one where the suit is a solid _pink_. After the suits there are even more pictures, and in some of them, Harry’s wearing either some suit, shirt, or jacket with a design that shouldn’t look good. In other pictures, he's wearing button ups that are _not_ buttoned up. 

When Louis reaches the end of the pictures that include Harry, he hands Zayn’s phone back. He also maybe feels mildly distressed.

“None of you guys thought of _maybe_ telling me that Harry used to dress like _this_?”

They all laugh, and Liam’s the one who answers. “To be honest we hadn’t even thought about it. It’s kind of weird knowing someone who’s never seen Harry dressed….” He waves a hand in the air, like he’s searching for the next thing to say, and Zayn tilts his head. 

“Like Harry?” Liam claps his hands together, and nods.

“Yeah! Like Harry. That’s just, Harry dressing like Harry and it’s odd that not everyone knows that.”

Niall’s nodding along now. “Yeah like, he loves the flannel and jeans now, think he loves having an excuse to dress like a hipster on a daily basis.” 

“He’s still a fashion diva at heart though. Everyone called him the Gucci God for a while, and I don’t think he’ll ever really let go of that.”

Listening to them talk, Louis realizes just how much he doesn’t know about Harry. They see each other every day, have for the last few months, and even though Louis can name Harry’s sister, his favorite color, his favorite apple, and his thoughts on almost every genre of music he can think of, he doesn’t really know much about his past. 

He’d only found out a few days previous that Harry worked for _Apple_ for fuck’s sake. That’s something Louis feels like he should’ve known a long time ago.

Harry comes out of the house then, holding a beer in one hand and his phone in the other. He hands the beer to Niall, who’d long since finished his first. “The driver’ll be here in a minute or so, you all ready?” 

They all nod as Liam locks the house up, and a couple minutes later, a limo is parked in the driveway. 

As soon as they’re in the vehicle, Louis figures out why Liam and Harry hadn’t been drinking any beer.

“We’re much _classier_ about our alcohol tastes than these two.” Liam is saying as he pours a couple glasses of white wine.

Zayn snorts out a laugh, and makes a grabby hand at Liam’s glass from where he’s pressed up against him, until Liam sighs and passes it over. He takes it with a smug look. Niall just shrugs, looking entirely unbothered.

“You two’re just picky shits, it’s not like I’d let you drink any crappy beer.”

Harry rolls his eyes, and takes his own glass of wine from Liam. “I’m not _picky_ Niall, I’m just not going to waste any time on beer that I can have any time I want when I _know_ there’s going to be good drinks supplied all night.” He gestures towards Louis. “You done with your beer love? I’ll pour you a glass.” Louis nods, and sets his beer bottle down.

“Yes please, haven’t had good wine since I’ve been here.” Harry throws a pointed look at Niall, who sticks out his tongue. Louis laughs, and takes the glass Harry’s poured for him.

“Thanks Harry, Niall how old _are_ you?”

Niall just laughs and flips Louis off. “Oh shut up you twat.” 

Louis just laughs, and leans up against Harry. He tunes out a little as conversation resumes, and really takes in Harry’s…..everything.

His hair has been styled for once, and is practically flowing over his shoulders; he’s wearing eyeliner like he’d said he was, along with some lipstick and definitely some mascara as well. The suit makes his legs look unnaturally and unfairly long, and Louis can see the tattoo on his chest almost clearly thanks to the shirt. The rings on his fingers make his already elegant hands look even more capable than usual, and Louis has to take a drink of his wine to cover up the blush slowly making it's way up his cheeks.

Harry’s just so fucking attractive it isn’t _fair_.

Eventually, Harry must notice how quiet he’s being, and he turns to him with a little smile on his face. “You alright love?”

Louis nods, and squints his eyes a little at Harry. “You know, for all the shit you gave me when we first met about my _fancy clothes_ I was thinking you’d never seen nice clothes in your life.” He taps at Harry’s elbow. “Is this custom made? Because I’m almost certain you didn’t find this in a regular shop. Bees and apple blossoms? _Really_?”

Harry giggles, and shakes his head. He tugs at the collar of his jacket, looking proud. “ _Actually_ it’s Gucci, I thought the design was perfect. Not uh, custom made though, I haven’t had one of those in a couple years.” Louis just blinks at him, and Harry continues. “Well, the boots are Saint Laurent, got them for my birthday from one of the designers this year and haven’t had a reason to wear them until now. They _are_ custom made.” 

He looks at Louis then, eyebrows raised and looking like the asshole Louis knows he is. Louis just shakes his head. “Are you for real?”

Harry just continues looking smug, and throws his arm over Louis’ shoulders. “As real as your arse princess.”

\---

When they arrive at the hotel the party’s being held at, it’s to the flashing of cameras and tons of other limos everywhere. They go in around the back way, something Harry says is a perk of just being _friends_ with famous people instead of an actual famous person. 

When they’re just outside the door, Harry tells the other three to go ahead, and he pulls Louis to the side.

“Before we go in, I just wanted to tell you that you look, just, absolutely stunning.”

Louis ducks his head, and bites at his lip before looking back up at Harry. “Thank you Harry, y’know I borrowed the shirt from Zayn right?” Harry’s got this _look_ on his face. “What?”

Harry shrugs, and steps closer to Louis, and tugs at the hem of his leather jacket, straightening it out. “Well, ‘s just that that’s actually _my_ shirt. I accidentally left it over at Zayn’s a month or so ago.”

Louis blinks, and then laughs. “Well, looks like I’m just always wearing your clothes aren’t I?”

Harry’s face breaks out into a huge smile, dimples and all, and he kisses Louis, this kiss a little _more_ than any their previous ones. When he pulls away, his hands have gravitated to Louis’ hips, and he squeezes once before standing straighter, and stepping away.

“We’d better go in princess, otherwise I’ll just bring us upstairs and we won’t even make it to the party.”

Louis sighs, but nods. “I suppose we’d better, then. You _are_ wearing Gucci.”

Harry laughs, his dimples showing, and leads Louis inside.

The moment they step inside, Louis is immediately overwhelmed.

Just glancing around the room, he can tell just how exclusive an event this is, and it’s more than a little daunting. Just in the first few minutes of just looking, he sees Ariana Grande, Khalid, and Sam Smith. He also thinks he sees Stevie Nicks at one point, but there’s _no fucking way_.

As shellshocked as Louis is, the others seem to think it’s normal, and they all spread out and start mingling right away. Louis sticks by Harry, who’s just looking around like he’s looking for something specific. He must find it, because his face lights up, and he wraps his arm around Louis’ waist.

“C’mon sweets, we’d better go say hi to Nick. Don’t think he quite believed me when I said we were coming.” Louis nods, and lets Harry lead him through the crowd. 

“How long have you known Nick then?” Harry draws in a breath, thinking.

“Oooh nearly a decade now I suppose. Met him at some gala I think. He was being an absolute dick to one of my bosses, and we got along right away.” Louis laughs.

“Yeah that makes sense.”

Harry sticks his bottom lip out at him. “Heeeeey, that’s rude.”

Louis giggles, and turns his head to press a kiss onto Harry’s shoulder. “Right sorry love, I mean you’re an absolute delight to be around.”

Harry grins, and squeezes Louis closer to him as they near where Nick is talking to a leggy blonde Louis is almost _certain_ is Cara Delevingne.

Nick must see them approaching out of the corner of his eye, and he turns with an excited expression on his face.

“Sue! You fuckin’ made it!”

Harry’s grinning even wider now, and he breaks away from Louis to pull Nick into a hug. “Nicholas! You’re looking more and more refined every time I see you.” They pull away and Nick swats Harry playfully on the chest.

“Don’t call me _old_ , not when you’ve become a hillbilly and a recluse farmer.”

Harry giggles, and pats Nick on the shoulder. “If insulting me makes you feel younger, please feel free to continue.”

Nick makes an offended face for a few seconds, before it breaks into an easy smile.

“You’re glowing mate, it’s good to see you.” Harry just continues smiling, and moves away as he holds out his arm towards Louis.

“It’s good to see you too. I want to introduce you to someone though.” He turns to look at Louis. “Louis love, this is Nick. Nick, this is Louis, my uh….friend.”

Nick’s eyes widen, and he looks from Harry to Louis a couple times, before stepping forward and pulling Louis into a hug. “Well _fuck me_ , aren’t you pretty?” Louis lets out a surprised laugh, and returns the hug awkwardly. When Nick pulls away, he then shakes Louis’ hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you Louis, and congrats.”

Louis laughs again, still a little awkwardly. “It’s nice to meet you too, and thank you, I am feeling rather proud of myself.”

That sets Nick off again, and he claps Harry on the shoulder. “Really Harold, great job.” Harry just laughs indulgently, and then Nick is changing the subject. “So is the rest of your squad here? I haven’t seen any of them yet.”

Harry nods, and looks around. “Yeah they’re here, Liam and Zayn are probably off playing adorable couple somewhere and Niall’s probably at the bar before he tries finding Shawn. I dunno.” He shrugs casually, his arm going back around Louis’ waist. “Is anyone I know coming tonight?” He considers for a moment. “Anyone you’ve been dying for me to meet?”

Nick starts rambling, listing off names Louis has never heard and some names he most _definitely_ has. 

At one point, Harry drags him over to meet Mick Fleetwood.

_Mick Fleetwood_.

Harry calls Mick Fleetwood Dad, then introduces Louis like a teenager introducing their _actual_ dad to their prom date. Louis is in shock for a good ten minutes but he thinks he hides it well.

As the night goes on, Louis is a little bit in awe of how many people Harry knows. He’s not sure what he’d been expecting, but Harry being a social butterfly and hugging nearly everyone and greeting them like they were old friends wasn’t something he’d even thought of.

Near midnight, Harry had excused himself to the bathroom, leaving Louis by himself for the first time all night. He feels slightly out of place, so he grabs a glass of champagne to have _something_ to do with his hands as he wanders. Eventually, in a room off to the side of the main one he and Harry had been wandering, he finds Niall.

Who’s talking to bloody Ed Sheeran.

When Niall catches sight of him, he raises his glass. “Aay Lou! Come ‘ere, meet Edward fuckin’ Sheeran.” Louis goes over and sits by Niall, and raises his hand in a wave at Ed.

“Hey.” Ed nods back at him, smiling fondly at Niall’s antics.

“Hello, you’re the famous Louis, then? I’ve heard so much about you from these idiots I feel like I know you.” Louis smiles.

“Aww Nialler you talk about me? Yeah I’m Louis. I uh. I know who you are.” 

Ed laughs, and Niall does too. He drains the last of his drink then stands. “You two stay ‘ere. I gotta go and..” He holds the glass up, and Ed and Louis both wave him away. When he’s gone, Ed turns back to him.

“So, you having a good time? Keeping up with Harry alright?”

Louis laughs and shrugs. “I’m having a really good time actually, meeting lots of people I didn’t really think I’d ever meet. Harry’s…..a bit more popular than he led me to believe.”

Ed huffs a laugh. “Yeah Harry’s like that. He could discover the cure for cancer and he’d blush about it and say it was nothing.” Louis nods, eyes wide.

“Yeah I’ve fuckin’ noticed! He told me he used to work for Apple then followed that up with ‘it was nothing big’, who does that?”

Lifting his glass while pointing knowingly at Louis. “Harry bloody Styles does that. He’s the same way about his music y’know.”

Louis shakes his head slowly. “His music? He’s never said anything about any music.” Ed looks surprised, but quickly covers it up and shrugs.

“Oh that’s not surprising I guess, he must be busy with the orchard. But yeah, Harry writes, or used to write anyway, music. He had enough written for an album at one point, the kid’s talented. Don’t know why he never pursued it.”

Louis’ more than a little shocked. What else could he possible not know about Harry?

“What kind of music did he write? Did he ever record anything?” Ed hums.

“It was kind of glam I guess, he definitely was big on like, seventies and eighties rock as influences. He’d have been a monster on stage.” He laughs. “You should see him sing karaoke. He’s absolutely nuts.”

Louis laughs, and is about to reply, when Niall comes back with Harry, and a blond in tow. It takes Louis a moment to place him, before he realizes it’s Shawn Mendes. Then he puts two and two together, and _Shawn Mendes is Niall’s Shawn_. He’s gaping at Niall, who just grins at him as he grabs Shawn’s hand.

“Louis, _this_ is cute Shawn from my phone. Babe, this is Louis, the annoying one.” Louis makes an offended face. 

 

“Niall! Don’t be rude!” Then he extends his hand out to Shawn. “Pleased to meet you, congratulations on being able to handle this one.”

Shawn just laughs, and shakes his hand. “I do my best. He’s a handful you know.” 

Niall gasps, and puts on a hurt face. Harry laughs then, and turns to Ed, whose face lights up, just like everyone’s seem to do when they see Harry, and he stands up to pull him into a hug. “Harold! It’s been ages!”

“Edward! It’s wonderful to see you! The new album is amazing, congratulations!” Ed smiles as they pull away.

“Thanks man. Congratulations on the orchard, Niall’s been telling me about how well things have been going.”

Harry looks proud as he thanks Ed, and comes over to stand next to where Louis is sitting. He runs a hand through his hair and smiles softly at him when he looks up. “Thought I lost you there love, couldn’t find you when I got out of the men’s room.” He’s pouting exaggeratedly, and Louis coos in mock sympathy.

“Aaw Hazza I’m sorry, were you lost without me?” He makes a kissing gesture with his lips, and Harry bends down to kiss him.

“I always am darling, don’t know what I’d do without you.” Louis opens his mouth, but is rudely interrupted by Niall making gagging sounds.

They both turn to glare at him, and the noises turn into a loud cackle. “Jesus christ you two get a room, you’re just about as bad as Zayn and Liam at this point.”

Louis sticks his tongue out at him, and Niall’s mouth drops open and he points at Louis. “Hey! How old are you _Louis_?! You’re no better than me!” 

Louis blows a raspberry then, and pouts at Harry and Ed. “You _guys_ I’m being picked on.” They just keep laughing, and Louis sighs as he stands up. “You are the _worst_ , I’m going to find Zayn. _He’s_ nice to me!”

He saunters out of the room then, grinning smugly when he can hear Harry saying goodbye to Ed, Niall and Shawn before following him.

When he catches up to him, he grips his hip from behind him and presses a kiss to his cheek as he pulls him to a stop. “You know if you want someone to be nice to you princess, you could always just ask.”

Louis grins, and shrugs. “I dunno, you seem to like just teasing me, not sure I can trust you to be _nice_.” 

That gets him a grunt, and then Harry’s pulling him off to the side of the room, into a darker corner where no one seems to be looking. When they get there, Harry pushes Louis’ back up against the wall, so he’s covered completely by Harry’s body.

“I’m not entirely sure you _want_ me to be nice princess….” He tugs at Louis’ jacket, then slides his hand down and around to Louis’ ass. “...not when you’re wearing _this_.” He squeezes, and Louis gasps a little, his eyes darting around to see if anyone’s looking.

Harry tsks at him, and grips Louis’ chin so he’s looking up at him. “Eyes on me babe, no one’s looking.” Louis whimpers.

“But what if-” Harry kisses him, then pulls away slightly.

“ _No one_ is going to look, and even if they do, they’re not going to see anything.” At Louis’ confused look, Harry grins. “I got us a room baby, surprise.” 

Louis’ heart flutters, and he bats his eyes up at Harry. “Really? A hotel room? What are we going to do with it Harry?” Harry groans, and kisses him again. When he pulls away, his eyes are shining, and his breathing is heavy to match Louis’.

“Follow me and I’ll show you.” Louis nods, though he’s barely able to do that before Harry’s got him by the hand and is pulling him to the elevators to go up.

As soon as they’re in the -blessedly empty- elevator and the doors are shut, Harry presses him up against the wall again. His hand is low on Louis’ back, protecting it from the railing, and he starts kissing him before he even has a moment to melt at the gesture.

As they kiss, Harry’s free hand is moving up and down his side. He plays with the hem of Louis’ (Harry’s) shirt, then slides his hand up underneath it. Louis lets out a soft moan, and he can feel Harry smiling into the kiss as he slides his hand up farther. Louis’ breathing is getting quicker, their bodies are getting pushed up against each other tighter, and then the elevator comes to a stop.

Harry pulls away abruptly, his chest heaving and his eyes dark. Louis’ legs feel wobbly, and he has to grip the railing behind him for a moment so he doesn’t fall. They both take a second to catch their breath, Louis looking up and down Harry as they do.

His hair is messed up from where Louis has been pulling at it, his shirt under his suit jacket held together by only one button now, and most importantly, the sleek, expensive material of his suit pants are obviously tented. Louis whines a little at the size of the bulge, and when he brings his eyes up to meet Harry’s, the look on Harry’s face makes him gasp.

“Harry, we need to-”

Harry nods, and reaches for Louis’ hand. “Yeah.” He looks Louis up and down, then pulls him from the elevator. They practically run down the hallway, Louis almost trips trying to keep up with Harry’s ridiculously long legs. Harry just giggles, and presses him up against their door as he unlocks it one handed. His other hand is on Louis’ ass, squeezing teasingly whenever Louis tries to tell him to _hurry the fuck up_.

They trip over each other into the room, giggling and tugging at each other’s clothes. By the time they manage to stumble over to the king sized bed, Louis’ managed to unbutton Harry’s shirt, and has his jacket on the floor.

Harry pushes Louis gently onto the bed, and Louis props himself up onto his elbows, just taking a moment to admire what he gets to touch. 

Because fuck, Harry looks good. He’s got leaves of some sort tattooed on his hips, making a path down to where Louis wants to see most, and through the long sleeves of his shirt he can see the multiple tattoos running up and down his arms. 

When his gaze finally moves back up to Harry’s face, he’s grinning, and Louis has to laugh. “What are you smiling about curly?” 

Harry moves forward, sets his hands on Louis’ hips. “Just looking at you princess.” He trails his fingers along the hem of Louis’ shirt, his fingers brushing skin as he does. “Thinking about how pretty you look wearing my shirt.” His hands unbutton Louis’ jeans in a quick movement, and he tugs at them as he gives Louis a heated look. “Thinking about how I’m gonna make you wear it as you ride me.”

Louis moans, and pushes at Harry’s hands. “Get the fuck on with it then, or you’re not going to _get_ to fuck me.” Harry pulls at Louis’ jeans, helps him get them and his boxers off, before crawling up onto the bed and hovering above him. He presses a kiss to Louis’ nose, then his lips, then works his way down to his neck. Louis tilts his head back, because if he’s learned anything in the last week, it’s that Harry loves to mark him up.

He’s also learned that he adores having Harry’s marks on him, loves feeling -for a lack of a better word- _owned_.

When Harry’s satisfied with the marks he’s bit and sucked into Louis’ neck, he sits up, and just looks at Louis. After a moment has passed, he rests his hands on Louis’ bare thighs, squeezing and rubbing at them. He looks up at Louis then, as he slides his hands up and under the shirt. 

“You look like an angel Lou. So fuckin’ pretty.” He rubs his thumbs in slow circles, moving closer and closer to Louis’ cock, that’s hidden underneath _Harry’s_ shirt. Louis’ having trouble breathing. “You’re practically drowning in this shirt love, makes you look tiny.” His right hand moves, quickly, and he wraps it around the base of Louis’ cock. “So delicate sweets, I want to just make a mess of you.”

Louis whines, and thrusts his hips up slightly. Harry’s still sitting on his legs, so the movement isn’t much, but it’s enough for Louis to realize Harry’s still got his rings on. Harry starts moving his hand then, and Louis clutches at the pillow above his head. “Oh fuck, Harry please I need _more_.”

Harry hums, and flips the shirt up as he continues to move his hand, his thumb coming up every now and then to collect precome. “What more do you need love? Hm? I’ll give it to you, just ask darling.”

“W-Whatever you’ll give to me Haz just-in-inside me or _something_ I don’t care just-” Harry lets go then, and Louis whimpers pitifully. “ _Nooo_ …..”

Harry just smiles, and presses a kiss to Louis’ thigh before rolling off of him. He reaches over to the nightstand, and grabs the bottle of lube that had been sitting on it, as well as a box of condoms.

Louis grins at him from where he’s sat up on the bed. “You a boy scout Haz? Always prepared to fuck a handsome man in a hotel room?” Harry returns the grin as he moves back over to Louis.

“Wasn’t a boy scout I’m afraid.” He trails a hand up Louis’ thigh, up to his chest, then puts pressure on it until Louis lays back down. “Though, lately, I _am_ always prepared to fuck my pretty little princess, wherever I want to.” He pushes Louis’ legs apart, and smirks at the little gasp Louis makes. He makes quick work of slicking up his fingers, then uses his free hand to push Louis’ thighs out even more. Louis can feel his breathing pick up in anticipation, only for Harry’s fingers to rest teasingly against the swell of his ass, as he looks up at him. “How much do you want it Lou?”

Louis whimpers, and tries to spread his legs wider. “Harry don’t tease you know I-”

Harry’s grip on his thigh tightens, and his eyebrows go up. “Tell me princess, or I’ll make you do it yourself.” Louis whimpers again, heartbroken at the prospect.

“I need it so badly Harry you don’t even-I’ve wanted it since the-the first night I spent at your house for l-lads day? When you got me hard and made me get m’self off? I-I uh…” He trails off, because Harry has just pushed a finger inside. When he doesn’t move anymore, Louis groans and bucks his hips. “I f-fingered myself, in your bathroom I-I had to-kept imagining it was you. That it was your f-fingers and I-” Harry’s moving now, biting at his lip, and then squeezing another inside as Louis keeps going. “A-After that I’ve got off thinking of y-you _all the time_ -fuck Harry another _please_ -I-” He trails off with a cry as Harry pushes a third finger in, and he finally pushes against his prostate. His right foot is on the bed, and he’s using that to leverage himself onto Harry’s fingers. Harry’s pressing kisses to the side of his leg, down to his thigh. He twists his fingers then, and Louis realizes he’s kept the bloody rings on. 

He nearly cries at the realization, and Harry stretches his fingers out a few more times, before removing his fingers completely. He pushes himself up, and kisses Louis’ jaw before kissing his mouth. The kiss is deep, and hard, and if it’s any indication of how he fucks, Louis is going to _die_ tonight.

Harry gets a hand under Louis’ back, and another hooked under his thigh, then rolls them over. He does it effortlessly, and Louis whines, high pitched and embarrassingly at being moved like he weighs next to nothing. Harry’s hand is back on his ass, feeling where he’d just opened him up. “Can’t wait to get inside you princess, you’re going to feel so fucking good. Gonna be good for me, aren’t you angel? Gonna ride me so good.” Louis is nodding before he can even comprehend that he wants to, because he wants to be _so so so_ good for Harry. He sits up, and grabs for the condoms. 

Once he’s got the packet out, he realizes that Harry’s still got his pants on, along with his unbuttoned shirt, and he lets out a groan. “Can’t even get our stupid clothes off before fucking, ‘s like we’re teenagers.” Harry laughs, and undoes his pants.

“Don't care, you look hot in just m’shirt.” He grabs Louis’ wrist, and tugs at it. “Take my cock out angel, want to see your pretty little hand around it.” Louis bites his lip, holding back a groan, but does as he’s told anyway. 

When he does get Harry’s cock out, he whimpers, because _yeah_ , he needs that insie him. He looks up at Harry, flutters his eyelashes innocently, then leans over and mouths at the head. 

Harry lets out a loud groan, and Louis has to fight back a grin. He starts sucking, loving the way Harry’s hips roll up into the heat; his big hand on the back of Louis’ head, and his lovely voice moaning Louis’ name.

Eventually, Louis pulls off, and Harry moans. “Fuck Lou, you look gorgeous.”

Louis grins, and reaches for the condom he’d gotten out of the box earlier. “I’ll look even more gorgeous with you inside me.” 

Harry groans, and throws his head back as Louis rolls the condom on. “Yeah you fuckin’ will. Gonna look so pretty all fucked up, so gorgeous for me.”

“Fuck Harry I need to-” Harry’s hands are there immediately, holding on to his waist and guiding him down. 

Once Louis is all the way seated, and given a moment to _breathe holy fuck Harry’s big_ , Harry begins guiding him into moving. If Louis had thought he’d be able to go at his own pace being on top, he was mistaken.

Because Harry’s grip on his hips is tight, keeping him moving exactly how he wants, and he moves his hips in rhythm with Louis’, until he’s gasping and ready to fall over from it. 

With a moan, he moves one of his hands up from where it’d been resting Harry’s hip, and brings it up to run through his own hair. “I-I-” Harry thrusts up, sharp and _hard_ , and Louis breaks off in a whine. “- _ah_ , Da- _oooh_.” He can feel his cheeks redden from his near slip up, his heart freezing for a moment before he realizes Harry either didn’t notice or just isn’t saying anything about it.

Harry grinds his hips in then, and Louis pushes down to meet his movement. Harry grunts, and slides a hand up under Louis’ shirt to tease at his nipples. “That’s my good boy-movin’ so-fuck-so pretty, come on princess, you’re makin’ me feel so good.”

Louis whines. “More-keep talking-I-”

With a grin, Harry listens, and keeps talking. He tells Louis how good he is, calls him _pretty_ and _mine_ , and a beautiful collection of other words that make Louis squirm.

Eventually, when Louis’s thighs are absolutely burning and Harry’s thrusts are getting shallow and unsteady, Harry pulls him in for a kiss. That seems to be all Louis’ body can take, and he comes almost immediately, moaning into the kiss and Harry’s bites at his lip. Harry groans in response, and a minute later, he’s tensing up and releasing into the condom. 

They both lay there for a few moments afterwards, panting. Louis presses a couple kisses to Harry’s chest, and Harry huffs out a laugh. 

“I’m not sure I can go again so soon but be careful, you make me want to try.”

Louis giggles softly in response, and moves up a bit; sucks a mark onto Harry’s collarbone, then rolls off of him, careful to move slowly as Harry pulls out of him. When he’s on his back, Harry pulls the condom off, ties it off and throws it out, then presses a kiss to Louis’ cheek. 

“You want to shower? Or should I just go grab a cloth to clean you up with?” Louis’ eyes close, and he hums. 

“Can we take a bath please?” He feels Harry nod.

“Of course sweets, I’ll go draw it. You just stay here and look pretty.” 

Louis smirks, eyes still closed. “I’m a princess remember? I always look pretty while my servant does everything for me.”

Harry laughs, and surprises Louis by pressing a kiss to his nose. “Whatever you say your highness.” He pinches at Louis’ hip, then dodges the smack Louis aims at him, and heads to the bathroom laughing. 

Louis shakes his head, grinning like a madman, and has to fight the urge to call out the three words that have been haunting him for the last few weeks.

He loves Harry so much, it physically hurts.

\---

Harry, because he seems determined to treat Louis like a _literal_ princess, carries Louis into the bathroom bridal style. Louis giggles the entire time, because it’s probably ten feet from the bed, but he lets him do it anyway.

Louis sits up against Harry’s chest, and lets Harry wash his hair.

It feels _amazing_ , and Louis moans like he’s getting fucked again, which leads to him riding Harry in the bathtub, slow and easy, because Harry’s big hands on his waist won’t let him move any faster.

They turn the shower on to rinse off, then go back to bed, where Louis insists on being the big spoon. Harry giggles uncontrollably for a few minutes, and when Louis _finally_ gets him to explain why, he just laughs harder.

“You’re Louis the little jet pack.” 

Louis gasps, and smacks Harry’s back lightly. “You take that back!”

Harry just laughs harder, and Louis huffs before starting to tickle him. Harry’s face goes from laughing, to horrified, and then to horrified laughter in the span of five seconds, and it’s probably the proudest moment of Louis’ entire life.

When Harry _finally_ gives in, yelling “ _fuck I take it back mercy mercy mercy_ ”, they settle back into their positions, giggling off and on, until they eventually drift off to sleep.

\---

_November 5th_

When Louis wakes up the next morning, he’s cozy, and there’s an arm thrown across his back. Somehow, he’d wound up practically on top of Harry’s chest, their legs wound together and Harry’s arm thrown across his back protectively. It’s sweet, and Louis smiles softly as he shifts around before drifting off again.

What feels like moments later, he’s woken up by a loud pounding noise. He feels Harry startle beneath him, then mutter a quiet “fuck”. 

The pounding resumes, and Harry groans softly as he gently moves Louis off of him. Louis is too comfy to let him know he’s awake, and smiles softly to himself as he hears Harry stumble around trying to find some clothes to throw on. He must find something, because he goes around the corner to the door.

“Nick? What the hell are you doing here? It’s like…..early.”

Louis hears Nick laugh. “It’s nearly nine young Harold. I just came by to congratulate on that _beautiful_ piece of ass you had hanging off your arm all night. Truly, you’ve done it again.” Harry doesn’t reply verbally, but he must make some sort of gesture or something, because then Nick’s voice is coming around the corner again. “Oh shit is he _here_? Did I interrupt the morning sex?” He snickers, then there’s a smacking sound. “Can I join?”

Louis rolls his eyes, expecting some sort of possessive response from Harry. What he gets instead is a fond sounding laugh.

“Maybe next time Nick, can we take this out in the hall? I’d rather not wake him yet.” Then the door shuts, and Louis is left alone.

Slowly, he sits up in the bed, a bitter taste on his tongue that has nothing to do with morning breath.

The sentence “ _you’ve done it again_ ” keeps ringing in his ears.

Was this all some sort of….game to Harry?

Part of Louis is telling him that _no_ the last couple of months couldn’t have just been a game for Harry, but. 

But.

Harry hadn’t denied it. He’d _laughed_ , and said _maybe next time_. Next time what? Next time he fucked Louis? Next time there was another pretty boy willing to let Harry do whatever he wanted to his body?

That would explain why Harry told Louis pretty much nothing about himself. Nothing about his life before the orchard beyond the necessities. Nothing about his apparent past hoping to make it big as a singer. Nothing about his friends besides Liam, Zayn and Niall.

He knows how Harry met each of them, knows how long they’ve all been friends. He knows Harry’s mum’s name is Anne; knows he’s got a sister named Gemma that lives in New York. Knows he goes to New York at the end of November every year, and spends a week there for a mash up of her birthday, Thanksgiving, and Christmas with their family.

He’d thought that was all enough, but the more he thinks about it, the more he realizes just how much Harry still hasn’t told him. How much he probably never will.

Fuck, Louis had thought he and Zayn were engaged for almost a month because Harry just….didn’t talk.

There’s a knot in Louis’ stomach that’s making him feel like he’s either going to be sick or cry.

A noise comes from the door, like someone’s hand is on the doorknob, and Louis makes a run for the bathroom. He’s on the verge of hyperventilating, and his skin is _crawling_. 

Louis stumbles over to the shower and turns the water on, not even thinking as he gets in with the water still freezing. He’s rubbing at his face, trying to keep the tears at bay, when there’s a soft knock on the door.

“Louis, love, are you alright?” 

Louis can barely contain a sob, and he's shaking as he replies. “I-I don’t um. Sorry I just don’t feel very well.”

“Oh sweets, can you unlock the door? What do you need me to do?” He sounds so _concerned_ , like he actually cares, and Louis can feel his heart shatter.

“I just. I’ll be out in a minute yeah? Can you get me a glass of water?” 

“Of course love, just come out when you’re ready. I’ll call for a vehicle and we can get you home okay?”

“Okay.” He barely recognizes his own voice. He sniffs, and stands under the -now warm- spray of the shower for a few moments. When he steps out, he’s still shaking as he wraps the towel around himself. Facing Harry is the last thing he wants right now, but he’s going to have to if he wants to go back to his aunt’s.

Fuck. He wants his mum.

\---

Somehow, he manages to get dressed. Of course, because everything is made to hurt him, Harry had packed along his own clothes for the both of them, so he has to put on an oversized sweatshirt and too big sweatpants, that smell like Harry and make Louis want to cry even more.

Harry plays the part of worried almost too well, and he gets them into a car (not a limo, but still nicer than a taxi) in less than half an hour. He asks Louis periodically if they should pull over, or if he needs water, or even if he’s hungry.

Louis just squeezes his eyes shut and shakes his head, leaning against the car door.

Eventually, he must doze off, because when he wakes up he’s tucked up into Harry, whose arms are wrapped around him, and he has a hand playing softly with Louis’ hair. 

He can’t fall back to sleep after that, but can’t quite bring himself to pull away either.

It’s the longest car ride of his life.

When they finally arrive at his aunt’s place, Harry offers to help him get into the house and into bed. Louis wishes he’d just stop pretending to care.

“No thank you, I’ll be fine. Just wanna get to bed.”

Harry nods, his eyebrows creased. “Okay.” He sighs. “Just. Call me when you’re feeling better?” Louis nods halfheartedly. He already knows he won’t.

They stare at each other a moment, Louis’ arms wrapped protectively around his middle, before he turns to go up to the house.

He half expects to hear the car door shut before he even gets up to the front porch, but he doesn’t. He doesn’t hear the vehicle leaving the yard either; not when he’s in the front hall, not when he’s in the guest room, and not when he’s finally in bed.

He shuts his eyes, and he’s asleep before he can hear the sound of Harry leaving, and taking his broken heart with him.


	7. Chapter 7

Louis manages to go the entire weekend without talking to any of the guys.

The other three all text him a few times each, and he has to physically stop himself from replying.

When he wakes up from his nap on Saturday, there’s two texts from Zayn. One of them hoping he feels better, and the other asking how his night was with Harry. He’s clearly trying to lighten his mood, but all it does is make Louis tear up.

Niall texts around seven, asking if he’s feeling better, and telling him that lad’s day just wasn’t the same without him.

Liam’s texts are later, but are longer, and have the tone of a worried parent.

Somehow, he ignores all of them, and falls into bed around ten, his phone firmly off. 

The next morning when he turns his phone on, it's to seven texts, and three missed calls from Harry. That’s the breaking point for him, and he just…..can’t.

He calls his mum.

She doesn’t even get out a hello, because Louis is crying when she picks up.

“Oh my god, Lou, sweetheart what’s _wrong_? Has something happened?” Louis sniffles, and wipes at his eyes.

“I-I-Harry-I can’t-” He’s having difficulty breathing, and his free hand is tugging at his -Harry’s- sweatpants.

When she speaks again, it’s softer, and still tinged with worry. “Oh _baby_ , what happened?”

Louis whimpers. “He-he _used_ me mum I-I thought he-I _love_ him and he-” He can’t finish. 

“Lou, sweetheart just breathe. I’m here, not going anywhere love.” Louis nods, and takes the next couple minutes to match his breathing to his mum’s. 

When he’s finally calmed a little, and the only sounds coming from him are quiet sniffles and hitched breaths, his mum gently speaks again. “Can you tell me what happened love? Where are you?”

He sniffs, and wipes at his nose with the sleeve of his sweatshirt. “‘M at the farm I.” He swallows, and when he speaks again, it’s almost a whisper. “We-We spent Friday night at a hotel.”

“Oh, Lou…..” Louis sighs, and then it all spills out.

He tells her everything. She’d known bits and pieces already, about the orchard, and how Louis felt, but she hadn’t known _everything_.

So, he tells her. He tells her about Harry’s dimples, and his wit, and just how much of an asshole he could be but in the absolute best way. How the next moment he could turn around and say a stupid pun, and it’d be so endearing that Louis would laugh no matter how bad the joke was. 

He rambles. Talks about how good Harry is with kids. How Harry told him one day he wanted ‘somewhere between five and thirty kids’ someday. How for the first time, Louis had _wanted_ kids too, if he got to raise them with Harry. 

He tells her about how he was going to tell Harry he loved him.

By the time he’s telling her about how much he didn’t know about Harry, how much Harry hadn’t wanted to tell him, he’s crying again. It’s not the soul shattering sobs from before, just steady tears. The sleeve of his sweatshirt is wet, his eyes are probably bloodshot, and when he finally tells his mum about Harry’s conversation with Nick, he’s just _exhausted_.

She’s quiet on the other end for a moment, save for a couple sniffs that Louis knows means she’s hurting for him but trying not to let him know. 

“Love, I know you’re meant to be there for another month but...maybe you should come home early?”

Home. When she says the word, his mind briefly flashes to Harry’s house. Images of Zayn and Harry singing along loudly to Abba come to mind, along with Liam and Niall shouting at the TV while playing video games.

He knows she means England. Doncaster. Where she and his siblings are. Hell, where his friends are.

With a painful kind of pang to his heart, he realizes that home is no longer a place, but people.

One person, specifically.

He’s tearing up again, but manages not to let the tears show in his voice. “No I-I think I’ll stay. I told Jenna I’d stay to celebrate Thanksgiving and I feel bad I haven’t spent a lot of time with them so far.”

His mum sighs. “Alright, if you really want to. You take care of yourself though, okay? I don’t want to hear anything about you moping about or not eating, you hear me?”

Louis can feel a smile tugging at his lips, even if it is a small, half hearted one. “Okay mum, I hear you.” 

“I love you Louis.”

“I love you too mum, tell the kids hi from me?”

She agrees, and a minute later, they hang up.

Louis sighs, and falls backwards onto the bed. He wants nothing more than to fall asleep again, but he knows his aunt is worried. She’d come up earlier in the day, asking if he was alright, and all he’d been able to get out was that he wasn’t feeling well.

With a groan, he sits up, and goes about finding different clothes to put on. Wearing Harry’s clothes isn’t helping him any, and he firmly pulls them off and throws them in a corner with determination.

If all the last couple months were to Harry was a game, then all Louis can do is accept it. Broken heart or not, all he can do is try to move on.

As he pulls the shirt off that Harry had given him, he gets a whiff of the cologne that Harry always wore, mixed with the smell of his detergent, and his home. It sends an ache through his entire being, and he tosses the shirt away.

Moving on is going to be the hardest thing Louis has ever done.

\---

_November 7th, 9:00 A.M._

Louis is filled with dread the entire drive to the orchard.

When Niall had texted him the night before, asking him if he was going to be able to come in, Louis had debated for nearly fifteen minutes over what to say. 

He’d decided eventually that no matter what he said, he’d have to go back at some point, and getting it over with was the best decision. It’d felt like the right answer at the time, and he’d felt bad when Niall’s reply had clearly shown how relieved he was that Louis answered.

Now, though, pulling into the familiar yard, he wants nothing more than to turn around and go back to his aunt’s place. As it is, he’s still showing up two hours later than he has in over a month. It feels _wrong_.

He sits in his car for nearly five minutes, fighting with himself, before he finally gets up and goes into the store, hoping and praying that Harry’s not in there for some reason.

In the end, it’s only Niall and Zayn, and both of them are a mixture of glad to see him, and concerned for his well being.

_That_ makes him feel like shit, because while he’d been wallowing in self pity, they’d been worried, and he’d _ignored_ them. 

He spends the day stubbornly insisting he’s fine -because he _is_ , physically-, and trying to make it up to them. As far as he can tell, it works, because they don’t seem to notice anything off.

They don’t notice, even though he spends the day dodging Harry.

The thing is, it’s both difficult, and easy.

It’s _easy_ , because it’s easy to find something to be busy with whenever Harry’s around. It’s so easy that Louis is forced to realize just how much he’d started to revolve even his work time around Harry. Still, he finds a way to either be in the cooler whenever Harry’s around, or talking to a customer. 

It’s _difficult_ , because Harry’s fucking persistent. 

Louis doesn’t know why Harry can’t just leave him the fuck alone. He’s gotten Louis in bed, had his way with him, made him feel properly _used_ , so why the hell can’t he just fuck off? 

By the end of the day, Louis has spent more time ducking and diving around Harry than he has working, and he practically rushes out of the store two hours earlier than he usually does. 

It’s not like they _really_ needed him around anymore to help anyway, he’d just started doing that when he’d stopped being an employee, and started being one of the lads instead. 

He makes it to his car, and is ready to get in and leave, when fucking _Harry_ catches him.

“Hey! Lou, wait!”

Louis cringes, a mixture of anger and hurt rushing through him as he turns around to face Harry, schooling his face into what he hopes is a blank look.

“Yeah?”

Harry looks a little confused at his tone as he comes to a stop in front of him. “I uh. I haven’t had a chance to talk to you today and I just wanted to uh. Was just gonna see if you were alright? You seemed really sick the other day.”

Louis shrugs. “Yeah ‘m fine. Must ‘ave just been a twenty four hour thing.”

Harry blinks at him, his eyebrows scrunched up. “Oooh. Well, I’m glad you’re feeling better.” 

Louis nods, and waves a hand. “Well, I need to get going. Told m’aunt I’d be back in time to help with supper.”

He tries to ignore the look on Harry’s face. “Oh. Okay. Well, see you tomorrow?”

With a nod, Louis opens the car door. “Yep. See you tomorrow.”

With that, he gets in, and leaves. Determinedly not looking back.

\---

The rest of the week goes by in a similar fashion, though Harry stops trying to seek Louis out.

It’s a relief, and at the same time, it hurts.

All it took was one conversation, and Harry dropped it. 

But, whatever. It’s better this way, Louis tells himself.

\---

Halfway through the week, Louis is beginning to realize it’s not better this way.

Things are slowing down at the orchard. There aren’t any apples left to be picked beyond the last few stragglers, there’s barely any left in the cooler, and all they’re really doing anymore is cleaning and packing the rest of the apples, and getting things packed up for the winter.

So, Harry’s around the store a lot.

It sucks, but Louis is _fine_ , he’s _handling_ it.

Then, Thursday comes, and Louis is clocking out at five, then getting the fuck out of dodge. Sure, he could stay and take his sweet time sweeping, or he could just sit and watch Zayn work while talking his ear off like he usually does, or even follow Niall around like a lost puppy.

It doesn’t feel the same anymore though. He loves Zayn, Liam, and Niall, he really does, but the fact of the matter is that Harry’s always going to be where they are, and yeah, Louis still loves him too. He can’t do it.

He’s just leaving out the back door of the store, when Liam corners him.

“So, Zayn didn’t really want me to say anything because he thinks you’re still getting over whatever you had last weekend, but I just wanted to ask and see if you were okay?”

Louis just stares blankly at him for a minute, not quite sure what to say, then shrugs. “I’m fine, just a little tired, I dunno.”

He’s more than a little dismayed when Liam starts shaking his head, and crosses his arms. “No offense mate, but I don’t think you’re just tired.”

“Well, I _am_ , so.”

Liam rolls his eyes. “No you’re not. You were ‘a little tired’ back in October, like, you were dead on your feet most nights, and you still managed to be a thousand times more lively than you are now. And I know we’ve only known each other three months, but this?” He gestures at Louis. “Isn’t how you act when you’re tired. I _know_ something’s wrong, and you don’t have to tell me what it is, but you don’t have to keep pretending to be fine Lou.”

Louis swallows, and looks down at the ground. This is…..a lot. 

He’d expected everyone to just pretend everything was fine (it’s what his friends did back home), and for things to just…..stay an awkward kind of normal until the orchard closed. 

He hadn’t expected this amount of concern, and suddenly, his chest is too tight, and everything is _too much too much too fucking much_.

Before he can even think about it, he’s mumbling, “I can’t stay here.”

He glances up, and Liam’s just staring at him. “You….You what?”

Louis starts fiddling with his car keys. “I-I’m quitting.” When Liam doesn’t reply, Louis takes a breath. “Look it’s-you guys are amazing, you’re like family, but. I wasn’t even supposed to be here this long, and I’ve barely spent any time with my _actual_ relatives. I go back to London in a month, and I need to spend time with them instead of being here all the time.”

When he finishes, he’s still nervously playing with his keys like his life depends on it. Liam doesn’t say anything for another moment, and then he nods.

“Okay.”

Louis looks up at him, his eyebrows arched. “Okay?”

Liam just shrugs one shoulder. “Okay. You’re a grown man, who wants to spend time with his family. I get it.” He sighs, then steps closer, and rests a hand on Louis’ shoulder, squeezing it for a moment before relaxing the grip. “For the record though, I _know_ that’s not the reason you’re quitting.” At Louis’ wide eyed look, he smiles kindly. “I don't know the actual reason, but. Whatever it is, you know we’re here for you right?”

Louis swallows. “Liam it’s-I swear it’s nothing _bad_ I just. I can’t do this anymore.” He bites at his lip, then gives Liam a grateful smile. “Thank you though, it means a lot.”

Liam smiles back, then pulls him into a hug. 

Liam gives the best hugs _ever_ , and Louis feels relaxed for the first time in days. When he pulls away, he sighs, and pats Liam’s arm. “Thanks Li, you’re the best.” He steps away, then shrugs. “So, I um. I’ll help out another week, but. After that….” He trails off, and Liam nods. “Could you do me a favor?”

Liam nods. “Yeah, what do you need?”

Taking a breath, Louis looks down at his hands, then back up. “I. I need you to not tell Harry. At least, not right away.”

“Lou…”

“Please Liam? I-I just. He can’t know. Tell Zayn, so he knows, but…. _please_.”

He’s not expecting Liam to agree, -christ, if he were in Liam’s place he definitely wouldn’t-, but miraculously, he does.

“Fine. I. Won’t tell Harry. If that’s what you really want.”

Louis nods. “Thank you. I’ll uh. See you tomorrow then?”

Liam just nods back, and, well. 

That’s that.

When he gets in the car, his radio is turned on, and Say Something by A Great Big World is playing.

He swallows with a click, and shuts the radio off.

\---

Friday flies by, and so does the weekend. 

Louis doesn’t go to lad’s day again, and the day is…...subdued. 

If Liam had thought the last weekend had been bad (it was, Harry had been glued to his phone, not wanting to look away in case Louis texted him), then this was awful.

Louis’ last week working with them pretty much flies by, and by the time his last day rolls around, the only one Liam’s been able to tell is Niall.

Niall, bless his heart, had just nodded defeatedly, and said “Yeah, I kinda figured it was coming.”, then promised not to tell Harry. 

Then, Thursday rolls around, and Liam _can’t_ keep it a secret anymore.

When he wakes up that morning, Zayn’s already up and making coffee. With a sigh, Liam rolls out of bed, and heads to the kitchen.

Best just to get it over with then.

Zayn smiles when he sees him. “Morning love, french toast?”

Liam smiles back, and grabs a couple of mugs. “Morning dove, sounds lovely. But uh, I need to tell you something, first.”

Zayn turns to look at him, a serious look on his face. “Is everything okay?”

Liam is quick to nod. “Yeah! No I’m fine, it’s just. It’s about Louis.” Zayn’s face morphs into a look of confusion, and Liam decides to just rip the bandaid off. “He quit.”

“He quit.”

Liam nods. “Yeah.”

Zayn turns around, rests his back against the kitchen counter and crosses his arms. “What-When did he tell you?” 

With a sigh, Liam comes up beside him, and rests an arm on the counter beside him, leaning against it. “Last Thursday.”

“When’s his last day?”

Another sigh. “Tomorrow.”

Zayn nods, and runs his fingers through his hair. “He didn’t want Harry to know, I’m guessing?” At Liam’s nod, he sighs. “Fuck. _Fuck_.” 

“Yeah. I know.”

Zayn shakes his head, looking distraught. “What the fuck _happened_ Li? I-This is gonna-Harry’s gonna be destroyed. He’s already upset, with Lou avoiding him, how is he going to react to-” 

Liam groans, and pulls Zayn into him. “This is shit.”

Zayn laughs, though it’s a bit hysterical. “Yeah, fuck this is going to be shit.”

Liam pulls away slightly, and tilts Zayn’s head up. “I love you. We’ll figure this out.” Zayn smiles at him, and presses a kiss to his lips.

“I love you too, and I’m trusting you.”

With a laugh and a kiss to Zayn’s forehead, Liam pulls away, and goes back to their mug. “We better get a move on, got a long couple of days ahead of us.”

\---

_November 18th, 8:00 P.M._

Somehow, Louis had managed to go his entire last day without seeing Harry. That’s not surprising, since Harry had stopped trying to get him alone, and Louis had barely seen him since Wednesday. 

That stings a little more than it should, considering it’s what he’d wanted.

The other three had made things hard enough the way it was, anyway. Niall had barely left his side the entire day, though he’d still made jokes and acted like nothing was different. Up until Louis was clocking out. Then, he’d wrapped him up in a hug and made him promise he’d stay in contact while barely holding back tears.

Liam hugged him at every opportunity, whether it was just a casual one armed hug around the shoulders, or an actual full on cuddle.

Zayn had been -surprisingly- quiet the entire day. When Louis had gone up to say goodbye, he almost expected Zayn to give him the cold shoulder. Instead, he’d flung himself at Louis and buried his head in his shoulder. Louis had nearly fallen backwards from the force, but had hugged Zayn back just as fiercely. When they pulled away, both of them had watery eyes, but neither of them said anything about it as they said their goodbyes.

Now, he’s back at his aunt’s place, and has somehow been roped into helping her bake cookies. It reminds him a bit too much of the last several Sundays spent with Zayn and Harry in the kitchen, but he’s _fine_. 

He’s just taking a pan out of the oven, when the doorbell rings and his aunt goes to answer it. Thinking nothing of it, he’s putting the next pan in the oven when his aunt comes back into the kitchen.

“It’s for you Lou, I’ll take over here.” Her voice is careful, and Louis is more than a little confused. Who the hell would be asking for him at this time?

That question is answered when he rounds the corner into the front hall, and sees who’s standing on the front porch.

Harry.

Harry’s standing on the deck in the dark, hands in his pockets and his jaw clenched as he looks out towards the pasture. He looks beautiful, and Louis’ heart aches. He pushes that away as he opens the door. Harry’s gaze moves to Louis, and he doesn’t wait to speak.

“You quit.”

Louis swallows, and shuts the door behind him softly before meeting Harry’s eyes. “Yeah I did. Figured it was time.”

Harry licks his lips, and brings his arms up to cross them in front of his chest. “Can I….ask why?”

“I-I told Liam, I want to spend time with my family before I go home, instead of-”

“Bullshit.”

Louis gapes, shocked at the outburst, then steels himself. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me. That’s a bullshit excuse and you know it.” Harry looks angry now, and while a little part of Louis is yelling about how attractive that makes him look, the rest of him is _pissed_.

“It is _not_ bullshit! I want to spend time with my aunt, and my cousins, because in case you hadn’t _noticed_ , I’ve been spending all my time at your _stupid_ orchard, at your beck and call! I don’t want that Harry! I’m not meant for this, this fucking dumb little town, and the stupid clothes and the early hours! I don’t want it, I don’t belong here, and I’m _done_.”

Harry’s mouth drops open, and he just stares. Then, slowly, he swallows, and nods. “Okay.” It’s a direct mirror of how Liam had reacted, but this feels nowhere near the understanding he’d gotten from Liam.

Louis blinks. “Okay?”

Harry looks him over once, a pained expression flickering over his face, before he steels his expression and nods. “Yeah.” He doesn’t sound so sure about that, but then he makes eye contact with Louis again. “Fine. Okay.” He swallows. “Have a nice life.” Then he turns, and starts down the steps. 

Louis watches him go, still _seething_ , up until the moment Harry’s truck is pulling out of the driveway. Then, he collapses onto the porch swing behind him, and stares until he can’t see headlights anymore.

He doesn’t cry again, won’t let himself, even as he sits there for god knows how long, in the dark, shivering.

Eventually, his aunt comes outside and pulls him inside, then hands him a cup of tea. She doesn’t make him talk about it yet, but he knows it’ll happen eventually.

He falls into bed, feeling empty. He hates how empty the bed feels, as if he’d even spent enough time in the same bed as Harry to even notice a different. He hates himself for falling so easily for someone who apparently never felt the same. A nasty part of him even hates his aunt for asking him to visit in the first place.

He desperately wants to hate Harry too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you're all enjoying this! Please feel free to come yell with (or at) me on [tumblr](http://rainbowsandgucci.tumblr.com/)!


	8. Chapter 8

Somehow, time still goes on without Harry, or any of the other guys.

It’s harder than it should be, since he’s only known them three months. When the next week rolls around, and they start preparing for Thanksgiving, it’s even harder. 

A couple days before Thanksgiving, Liam texts him and lets him know that he’s invited over to he and Zayn’s for dinner. Louis thanks him, but tells him he’s spending the day with his family. It’s one of the hardest things he’s ever done.

Liam and Niall text him pretty consistently after that anyway, and that feels better than Louis thought it would.

He doesn’t hear anything from Zayn or Harry though, and while he’d expected it from Harry, Zayn’s cold shoulder stings. It’s not surprising, but still.

He spends the last week of November moping. He feels like that’s all he’s going to be doing anymore, and he hates it. Hates that his aunt, uncle and even his cousins seem to be walking on eggshells around him.

On November twenty sixth, he gets a text from Niall asking him if he wants to meet up at the coffee shop in town.

Louis agrees immediately, and he’s glad he does.

When he pulls into the parking lot of the coffee shop, he’s barely out of his car before Niall pulls him into a hug. As soon as he does, Louis chokes out a happy sob, and they stand in the parking lot hugging and crying for a good ten minutes before they finally work their way inside. 

Niall, because he’s amazing, doesn’t say anything about Harry, just talks about everything and nothing else. When they say goodbye a couple hours later, Niall pulls him into a bone crushing hug, and tells him they all miss him. Louis can feel himself tearing up, as he tells Niall he misses all of them as well, and that he’ll maybe swing by sometime.

He probably won’t, because the chance that Harry could be there is just too big.

Niall seems to get that, because after that he starts inviting Louis to see him in other places. They go to the coffee shop a couple more times, once with Liam. They go out to eat once, and another time, Louis joins Niall on a shopping trip. 

Before he knows it, Louis is waking up the morning of December third, and realizes he’s only got twelve days left in Minnesota.

That same day, Niall invites him to go gift shopping with him. Louis gives him shit for doing his shopping early instead of waiting until last minute like everyone else, then agrees. 

Niall picks him up from his aunt’s, and they go to the mall in a nearby town. 

When they’ve been there nearly an hour, and Niall still hasn’t picked one thing to buy, Louis groans, and tosses a shirt at him. “Oh my god Niall, you’re worse than my mum. Do you even have any ideas for any of the gifts?” 

Niall groans back, and folds the shirt before setting it back on the display. “Shut up you menace, I’m doin’ my best.”

Louis giggles, and takes a dress of the rack next to him. It’s got a reindeer on it with a nose that plays Jingle Bells when he squeezes it. “You should get this for Zayn. He’d probably kill you.”

Laughing, Niall just points to the red one next to it decorated in bells. “Nah I’d get him that one, the jingling would drive him mad.”

Shaking his head, Louis puts the dress back, then rests an elbow on Niall’s shoulder as they continue walking. “Well, I think you’d be better off going through like, a farmer’s store or something. Buy everyone a new pair of ugly boots. Or buy me a sweater. It’s fucking _cold_ and there isn’t even any snow to make up for it yet.”

“They’re _functional_ Lou, we don’t wear them because we think they look good. What color do you like?” 

Louis pats his head, then tries to dodge the swat Niall aims at his chest. He fails, and gasps dramatically as they leave the store and continue ambling through the mall. “Keep telling yourself that Neil, but I think you guys like them. And I like green, just so you know.”

Niall just pulls him into another store. “You say that now, but you shoulda seen us when we first moved out here. Harry didn’t even buy himself a pair until we’d been here six months, the stubborn arse.”

He seems to realize what he’d said a second later, and cautiously glances at Louis. Neither of them say anything for a minute, before Louis coughs awkwardly.

“Uh. Speaking of the others. How is um. Harry? And Zayn?”

Niall shrugs, obviously trying to keep his voice casual. “Fine I guess. I uh. Zayn misses you, but he’s stubborn and won’t talk to you first, so.” He stops, and turns towards Louis, a considering look on his face. “Look. I dunno what exactly happened between you and Harry to make you quit-” Louis opens his mouth, and Niall just gives him a look. “-oh shut your mouth, we all know something happened. No one believes you actually wanted to just sit at Jenna’s place and mope for your last month here.”

He’s got a look on his face like he’s daring Louis to challenge him, and Louis is smart, so he just sighs. “Look Ni-”

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to Lou, I’m not gonna make you do that.” At Louis’ surprised and grateful look, he shrugs, and continues. “I think you should talk to him though. Just like, a text or something? He’s kind of been...not himself the last few weeks. T’be honest. You’ve both been different. Like a couple’a ghosts.”

He changes the subject then, but Louis can’t help dwelling on it.

He thinks about it, in the back of his mind the rest of the shopping trip, and on the way back to his aunt’s. He’s still thinking about it when he falls into bed, and he feels such an overwhelming sense of longing that it almost hurts.

If Harry’s hurting, that hurts Louis to think about, because Harry’s _Harry_. The only time Louis had ever seen him anything but happy or content had been….well. When Louis had quit. On top of that, _if_ Harry hasn’t been himself since Louis left, then _maybe_ that means it’s because of Louis.

It’s a cruel thing to hope for, but Louis is doing it anyway.

It’s then he realizes that he can’t go back to London without talking to Harry. He’s been miserable himself the last few weeks, if he’s completely honest with himself.

He’s taken to wearing the clothes Harry had lent him That Day around the house. He can’t quite bring himself to wash them either, because he doesn’t want to risk getting rid of the smell. He misses Harry, doesn’t want to be without him, he realizes. The idea of going back to London (he can’t even call it _home_ anymore) without having Harry in his life is the worst thing in the world, even if he still can’t reconcile his Harry with the Harry that’d talked to Nick.

It doesn’t scare him as much as he thinks it should, realizing he’d give up everything for Harry, regardless of what had happened.

He’s going to talk to Harry, he decides. 

\---

_December 4th_

The next day is even colder than the previous, and on the drive to Harry’s, Louis turns the radio on. He’s hoping there’ll be snow on the ground before he has to leave, but so far it’s not looking good.

The weatherman is saying it’ll probably snow tomorrow, but he’s also been saying that for the last two weeks, so Louis is beginning to think the Minnesotan weatherman doesn’t speak weather. As he nears the orchard, he shuts the radio off. The nervous pit in his stomach he’d been trying to ignore all morning is no longer ignorable, and huge part of him wants to turn around.

He’s not sure how this will go. Harry will probably yell at him for one thing, and Louis will let him. After the way he’d spoken to Harry last -he cringes thinking about it- it’s the least he deserves.

He’s got a little speech planned out anyway, one that’s filled with _how dare you_ ’s and _I love you you dumbass_ , but when he reaches the orchard, it’s lifeless.

Obviously, since the orchard closed for the season at the end of November, the store is dark and locked. Harry’s house is also dark though. It’s locked as well, something Louis knows Harry only does if he’s going to be gone longer than a day.

Then, he remembers the date. 

It’s December fourth, which means Harry’s in fucking _New York_ with his family for his sister’s birthday and an early Christmas.

He groans out in frustration, and plops down onto the front steps.

“Fuck.”

Louis wraps his arms around his knees, and stares out at the orchard pensively. He stays that way a few minutes, before pulling out his phone and bringing up Zayn’s name.

With a sigh, he pushes down his pride, and types out ‘hey can i come over? miss you :(‘

He’s relieved when Zayn responds almost immediately with, ‘sure, miss you too’

He stays sitting for a few minutes, then sighs and gets up. May as well just get it over with.

\---

When he knocks on Zayn and Liam’s door -it’s weird, knocking- he’s expecting Zayn to answer looking furious, or to not answer at all and have Liam do it instead. However, Zayn does answer the door, and instead of looking pissed, he just looks closed off. 

That’s almost worse.

“Hey, come in yeah? It’s freezing out.” 

Louis nods, and follows him inside. He takes his jacket off as they come into the kitchen, and awkwardly hangs it on the back of a chair before just….standing in the kitchen. Normally he’d slide onto one of the barstools as Zayn did whatever it is he’s doing, but now he feels awkward and out of place. Zayn’s busied himself with making tea, and when he turns around to grab something and catches sight of Louis, he just sighs.

“Lou just sit down, ‘m not gonna bite your ‘ead off mate.” Louis laughs hesitantly as he sits. It’s still a little tense, but neither of them speaks until Zayn’s got a mug fixed up for both of them, and is setting them on the counter. Louis’ heart clenches as he realizes that he’s _missed_ Zayn. He swallows, and looks down at the counter.

“I’m sorry.”

Zayn’s eyebrows go up. Louis doesn't even need to see him to know they have. “What for?”

Louis cringes, and stirs the spoon around in his mug before continuing. “For being a shit friend?”

Zayn sighs then. “Lou, I’ve been ignoring you just as much as you’ve been ignoring me. We’ve both been dicks, and I’m over it. That’s not what I’m upset about anymore.”

Yeah, Louis figured.

He swallows, and picks at the wooden countertop, staring down at his fingers as he does. “So. Why are you upset then?” He’s being obtuse, he knows it, but he does it anyway. 

With a huff, Zayn takes a drink of his own tea before answering. “I’m upset because _obviously_ something happened, and for some reason you ran off instead of talking to me. You just left, when I thought-I thought our friendship meant more to you than that. And you didn’t just leave me, either.”

Louis can feel the tension run out of him, only for it to be replaced with guilt. “Zayn I-” He stops, and when he doesn’t continue, Zayn sighs.

“Look. I’ve missed you. Niall and Liam have too, though don’t think I don’t know you’ve been talking to them, but….”

“Harry.”

Zayn nods. “Yeah. You abandoned him.” His jaw is clenched, he’s _glaring_ , and Louis is momentarily terrified.

Louis’ eyebrows furrow, and he shakes his head, feeling anger well up inside him. “I didn’t just-”

“Well how the fuck was I supposed to know that?” Zayn doesn’t raise his voice, doesn’t move, but just like that, Louis can feel his anger melt away entirely. Zayn waits a minute, then continues, “You _left_ Lou. I-One minute Harry was happier than I ever thought I’d see him, and the next you’re gone without a word, and I’m left to deal with the aftermath.”

Any fight that Louis had in him is fully gone now, and he looks up at Zayn properly. “I never-” His voice cracks, and he clears his throat before continuing. “I didn’t want to hurt anyone Z, especially not _Harry_ , I promise, I just. I had to-” He stops, tears brimming in his eyes for what feels like the hundredth time in just a couple weeks, and Zayn looks worried, and that’s worse than anger somehow.

“ _What_ Lou? What happened? You can talk to me love.”

Louis swallows, and nods. “Y’know how um. How Harry and I stayed at the hotel, that night?” Zayn nods, and Louis takes a breath. “It was...it was amazing. I’ve never-it’s _never_ felt that way and Harry was-was _perf_ -” He sniffs, and feels the first tear start making it's way down his cheek. “The-The next morning um, when we were in bed yet, Nick came by.” He sees Zayn’s eyes widen in recognition.

“ _Lou_.”

Louis laughs, a wet, tearful sound, and nods. “Y-Yeah. He uh, he said some stuff, didn’t think I was there at first I guess, and-and then Harry told him I was and Nick said _more_ stuff about like, threesomes a-and Harry just……” He rubs angrily at his eyes. “Harry didn’t say _anything_ , just dragged him out of the room.” His lower lip wobbles, and his next sentence comes out so small and pathetic, he _hates_ it. “I’ve never felt so-so _used_ in my entire life Zayn.”

Zayn rounds the counter and pulls him into a hug almost as soon as the sentence is out, and Louis melts into it. Zayn just rubs his back, and holds him. For the first time, crying actually feels like a relief.

After a few minutes of Louis sobbing into Zayn’s shirt, he finally calms down enough to pull away. He’s still sniffling, and wiping at his eyes when Zayn starts speaking.

“I’m so sorry you’ve had to deal with this on your own. Knowing Nick I can just about imagine what you had to hear and I just….I’m so sorry Lou.”

Louis shakes his head, and squeezes Zayn’s arm. “It wasn’t your fault Zayn. Besides, what he said didn’t-that didn’t bother me as much as Harry just….” He sighs, can’t even bring himself to say it again, and Zayn’s shaking his head.

He pulls away slightly, so he can look at Louis’ face. “No no no, Louis don’t-You mean so much to Harry I _promise_ Harry didn’t agree with any of that.” 

“Nick asked if Harry would _share me_.” At Zayn’s cringe, Louis laughs bitterly. “Harry just _laughed_. How the fuck else was I supposed to take that?”

Zayn sighs, and rubs his face with his hand. “ _Fuck_. Nick is such a twat.” Louis snorts out a laugh, and takes a drink of his tea.

“That’s what I said when Harry asked if I knew who he was.”

Zayn laughs quietly. “Well, he is one. He’s a good friend to Harry though. Just. He knew Harry when things were…..different. Harry’s not who he used to be.” Louis just looks confused, and Zayn shrugs.

“Harry and I moved to London when he was sixteen. He was a genius, got into uni on a full ride, and then when he was eighteen and graduating he had tons of job offers already. He met some people that first year, and then he was partying all the time. I mean, we all were, that’s when we met Li and Ni, and we were all young, had jobs that paid well, it was a given. But, Harry was young, a genius, and adorable.” He smiles. “You think he’s cute now? You should’ve seen him when he was seventeen, he was like a bloody cherub, what with the dimples and the hair and shit.” Louis giggles, the mental image _is_ adorable. 

Zayn takes a drink before continuing. “The first year wasn’t too bad, but….everyone wanted a piece of him, and he kind of got sucked in I guess. He’s such a social butterfly, it makes everyone feel like they’re his best friend so it turned into parties, drugs, drinking, sex, the whole nine yards.” He bites his lip, looking like he’s debating for a moment, then shrugs one shoulder. “Things got….things got bad for a bit. I’m not going to go into detail, ‘s not my place, but….” He sighs.

“What I’m getting at with this, is Nick doesn’t _know_ Harry anymore. He knows the Harry that went out every night and got so drunk he couldn’t walk, he knows the Harry that wore designer clothes all the time, and the Harry that had a new lay hanging off his arm every fucking night because that’s what he thought he _had_ to do because he didn’t know anything else.” Zayn nudges Louis’ knee with his own, and his face softens.

“ _You_ know _Harry_ , and you bring out the best in him too. You’ve seen him telling his awful jokes, and you know his favorite apple, and you know he cries like a baby watching Moana.” Louis laughs, and wipes at the tears that keep falling from his eyes.

“He can quote along with the damn movie and he still cries every time.”

Zayn laughs too, and nods. “Exactly! And _that’s_ Harry, Lou. The Harry who cries during Disney movies, and falls off the tractor because he’s laughing too hard is who he is. Not the sexed up, drunk mess that all those people from that night think he is. I’m not going to make excuses for him, but I’m also not going to tell you to harden your heart. He’s my best friend and I couldn’t do that to him. Just. Talk to him?”

Louis sniffs, and nods. “Okay. I’ll talk to him.” He shrugs, and smiles at Zayn. “I’ve missed him anyway, it’s getting a bit pathetic.” Zayn laughs, and tugs at the sweatpants Louis’ wearing. The ones that belong to Harry.

“Yeah, I can tell.”

Louis giggles, and they both go quiet. They finish their drinks in companionable silence, and fuck. Louis has missed Zayn.

“I’ve missed you Z.” Zayn grins at him.

“I’ve missed you too, Lou, glad you came back to me.” Louis nods, then looks serious.

“Zayn, mate, we should elope.”

Zayn raises his eyebrows and pretends to contemplate, then nods. “Sounds good. Fuck Liam and Gooseberry, let’s run away to Vegas. We’d make adorable babies.” They manage to keep straight faces for a few seconds, before bursting into laughter. 

When they finally calm down, Zayn drains the last of his tea, then stands. “C’mon Lou, we’re gonna go watch something and cuddle. Missed your cuddles.” Louis coos, and follows him into the living room, giggling as Zayn rolls his eyes at him.

They put on Rambo, and they’re halfway through the movie when Liam comes in the door, calling out for Zayn. When he walks into the living room and sees Louis there, his eyebrows go up, and he looks at Zayn for a few seconds, seeming to have some kind of conversation, before grinning and piling himself on top of the two. 

After a few minutes of dramatically acting like they're being squished, laughing and adjusting, Louis winds up sandwiched between the two, feeling happier than he’s felt in weeks.

As things start exploding on the movie, Zayn pokes at Louis, then whispers, “For the record, Lou, you’re always going to be family. Even if things don’t work out between you and H. You’re family now, and you’ll always have a place here.”

Louis feels his eyes getting wet again, but he doesn't reply. Just cuddles up into Zayn, and hugs him as tight as he can.

He hopes that’s enough of a thank you.

\---

Louis finds out from Zayn that Harry had left for New York later than usual, so he was planning on staying there until the eighteenth.

Three days after Louis is scheduled to leave.

When they come to that realization, they all go quiet, before collectively agreeing to just ignore it.

They spend the next week and a bit just spending time together. Louis does more shopping with each of the guys, and buys his own presents for each of them, along with a couple more things for his sisters, step dad and his mum. 

On the sixth, Louis texts Harry, asking him if they could talk.

Harry doesn’t answer.

Zayn takes Louis on a day trip on the eighth to go see the largest ball of twine made by one man. The drive there and back is the best part of the trip, mostly because they eat shit food and crank the Weird Al song about said twine ball. No offense to the actual twine ball.

On the ninth, Louis spends the day with his aunt and uncle.

On the tenth, Louis tries texting Harry again, then forces himself not to look at his phone again for the next four hours.

When he finally does, it’s to see Harry’s turned on his receipts, and Louis can now see Harry’s seen his texts. He still doesn’t answer.

Louis doesn’t cry again, he refuses to let himself, but that brings him close.

\---

_December 14th 3:00 P.M._

Louis grumbles as he bundles himself up in a sweatshirt, thick winter jacket, a hat, gloves, and finally, warm boots.

Because Minnesota is fucking _cold_ now, and there’s still no fucking snow to show for it. Louis is a little miffed, because he literally _leaves_ the next day, and there’s still no snow. 

He feels cheated, honestly.

As he practically runs to get out to his warm car -because his uncle is _amazing_ and started it for him- he curses Niall under his breath for making him actually leave the house. All for the sake of one last dinner before Louis leaves. 

He’s not actually pissed. He could never be pissed at Niall.

The weatherman is saying something about snow (again), and Louis just rolls his eyes before changing the channel. The channel he changes it to is being a bitch and is playing Leather and Lace, and Louis just shuts the radio off. 

When he turns onto the now familiar road that everyone’s houses are on and is going past the orchard, he sees there’s a light on in the store. He hums, and turns into the driveway. 

It’s more than likely Liam checking everything over for the night, and if Louis is lucky he’ll be able to scare the shit out of him since the driveway alarm has been turned off while Harry’s gone.

When he pulls up to the store, he doesn’t see Liam’s truck or Zayn’s car anywhere, and assumes it must be parked in the garage for some reason. He heads into the store, and not seeing anyone, looks into the office and packing room. No one’s in there, so he huffs and goes out the back way into the garage. Oddly enough, the only vehicles there, are Harry’s truck and the two tractors, the same as it’s been for the last couple weeks.

Louis huffs. One of the guys must have forgotten to shut the light off in the store. And then forgot to lock up. 

Shaking his head, he doubles back, and heads back to the front of the building. Since he’s here, he figures he may as well lock up, because he’s the best friend _ever_. So he flips the light off, and is turning around to go to his car to grab the key the others all insisted he keep, when he sees it.

More accurately, he sees _him_.

Louis’ heart stops, and his mouth drops open, because walking towards him from the direction of the garden, is Harry.

As he gets closer, Louis takes him in.

He’s wearing nicer clothes, so he must’ve just got back. He’s got on brown chelsea boots, a pair of ripped skinny jeans, and a soft looking lilac sweatshirt. He’s also wearing a beanie, and barely peeking out from the beanie are little curls. More specifically, _short_ little curls.

“Louis?”

Louis blinks, and feels a blush working its way up his face. “H-Harry...you’re back?”

He means for it to be a statement, but it comes out a question, and Louis feels stupid. Harry just shrugs as he comes to a stop a couple feet in front of Louis, and _oh_ he looks so tired. Louis’ heart aches.

“Yeah, my sister sent me home early becau-well. She sent me home early.”

Louis nods, then, “You cut your hair?”

Harry’s cheeks redden a little, and he brings a hand up to mess with the beanie. “Yeah I-I needed a change.

They go quiet a moment, then Louis starts to say, “Harry, I-”

At the same time, Harry says, “What did-”

They stop, and laugh awkwardly. When they stop, Harry gestures at Louis. “Uh. You first.”

Louis takes a deep breath. “Harry I-I want to apologize.”

Harry shrugs. “There’s nothing you need to apologize for.”

Shaking his head furiously, Louis takes a small step forward. “ _Yeah_ there is. I was a dick Harry, I shouldn’t have left the way I did but I-”

“Why _did_ you leave?” The way Harry asks, quiet, almost a whisper, is heartbreaking, and he sounds so _small_ , Louis almost breaks. He swallows, and looks down at the ground, before forcing himself to look back up. He’s got to see Harry’s face for this.

“I-” He sighs. “The morning after…..um. In the hotel room?” Harry doesn’t react, much. There’s a barely noticeable downwards twitch to his mouth, and Louis marvels at the fact that he can read Harry so well. He clears his throat, and continues. “I um. I was awake, that morning. I heard you talking to Nick.”

Harry looks confused for a moment, and then his mouth drops open, and he looks _devastated_.

Fuck. That’s not what Louis wanted.

“Louis, I didn’t-”

“No Harry I-Let me finish. Please?” Harry looks hesitant, still looking distraught, but he nods.

“I heard him talking to you, and what he said, and I was _hurt_. Because he said those things, yeah, but….you didn’t say anything? You just laughed? And I was.” He swallows, but keeps going, because the look on Harry’s face is horrible and he wants it gone as soon as possible. “I felt so _used_ Harry. I thought you thought that about me, that I was just a-a hot piece of ass for you to play with, have your fun with for a few months, and then I’d be gone and you’d never have to deal with me again.”

Harry looks like his whole world has been crushed, and Louis knows the feeling. 

“That’s why I quit. That’s why I left, and why I said such horrible things to you, and I’m so _so_ sorry for that, you’ll never know how sorry I am. I-I’ve talked to Zayn, and he’s explained some things, and-”

“But you are leaving.”

Louis stops, and stares at Harry. “What?”

Harry bites his lower lip, then shrugs. “But you _are_ leaving, aren’t you?”

Louis nods hesitantly. “Well. Yeah, I-I have a flight out tomorrow and I-”

“So why did that bother you?” Louis swallows. Oh.

“Why did what bother me Harry?” He knows. He _knows_ what Harry’s asking.

Harry huffs out a breath through his nose, looking frustrated. “Why did it bother you when you thought this was just a fling for me? Why did that make you _leave me_ after our night together? Why are you here now?” 

Louis just stares at him, and now Harry looks _desperate_. 

“Tell me the fuck _why_ Lou, or I’m going to walk up to my house, and I swear to god you’re never going to speak to me again.”

That’s it. The half pleading, half accusing tone of Harry’s voice, paired with the _need_ Louis feels to hold him; that’s it. Louis lets out a growl of frustration, and he yells, “Because I am _in love with you_ you _jackass_!”

There’s silence. They stare at each other, Harry’s eyes wide, Louis panting, and the seconds ticking on. 

Louis opens his mouth to say something else, when something cold lands on his cheek. He glances up, and for the first time in the past few minutes he notices something other than Harry.

It’s snowing. Fucking _finally_.

When he looks back at Harry, there are tears on his cheeks. Louis takes a deep breath, and when he speaks again, it’s calm, quiet, and steady.

“I love you _so much_ Harry. Somehow, somewhere in between you making fun of me, and making me part of your family, I fell in love with you.”

Harry laughs wetly, a hesitant smile starting to grow on his face. “So-So when you said you didn’t want to stay-”

Louis’ face softens as he takes a step closer to Harry. “You were right, it was complete and utter _bullshit_.” Harry nods, still looking disbelieving, and Louis grabs at his left hand, and brings it up to his chest, cradling it in between his own two hands. “I want the orchard Harry. I want the early hours, and the dirty clothes and the sweat, and the work that never seems to end.” Harry sniffs, but he looks amused, and Louis keeps going.

“I want to drive the tractor for you, and I want to pick the apples even though I have to use the stupid ladder. And I want to hold you on the days where nothing’s going right, and I want to laugh with you on the days where everything’s perfect. I want to go to every meeting you have, and I want all the dates that we have to squeeze in between all the craziness.” 

He sucks in a breath, and realizes he’s crying now too. Harry’s hand squeezes at his, and Louis breathes out a laugh. “I want Sundays spent with you and the lads, I want to go to dumb football games with you. I want the somewhere between five and thirty kids you’re always talking about, and-”

Harry laughs, and it comes out a sob. “Lou-”

Louis giggles, holding back a sob of his own. “-and I want _you_ Harry. I want all of that because of you. With you. Because I love you, Harry Styles. Please, _please_ , tell me I can have you.”

They’re both crying now, standing in the cold with snow falling around them, and it’s perfect. 

Harry nods, tears running down his cheeks as he brings a hand up to Louis’ cheek. “God, you have me Louis. For as long as you want me, _wherever_ you want me. If-If you wanted to go back home, if you ever decide you don’t want-” He gestures with his arm, “-this, I would. I’d give it all up. If you asked me to. I love you too, so fucking much, I-I can’t believe I _ever_ allowed you to think otherwise, and I’m so sorry for that love, but it will _never_ happen again, for as long as I live.”

All Louis can do is laugh, and Harry does too, and then he’s moving his hand down to Louis’ waist, and Louis’ arms are around his shoulders, and they’re kissing.

It’s the best damn kiss of Louis’ life. He’s standing in the snow, on an orchard, with the love of his life, and he knows there’s nowhere else he’d rather be.

Eventually, they have to pull away, giggling, and Harry nips at Louis’ lower lip. “House?”

Louis grins, and shakes his head. At Harry’s confused look, he presses a kiss to his cheek, and whispers, “ _Home_.”

\---

When they fall through Harry’s front door and into the entryway, barely breaking their lips apart to find their way, Louis is already unable to tell what’s up and what’s down. All he knows is he’s _got_ to get his jacket off, and Harry’s sweatshirt, and that needs to happen _now_.

Luckily, Harry seems to be just as desperate as he is, and he practically tears Louis’ jacket off, before doing the same with the hoodie he’d had on under it, all while walking them in the direction of the stairs that lead up to Harry’s room.

Louis whines, and tugs at Harry’s sweatshirt, only for Harry to giggle at him. Louis pulls away from where he’d been kissing at Harry’s collar bones, and pouts. Harry just grins, and _there_ he is.

“Barely got you in m’house and you’re already desperate baby?”

Louis huffs, and nips at Harry’s jaw, then bats his eyelashes up at him while sticking his bottom lip out. “Can’t help it, I need you.”

Harry groans, and slaps at Louis’ ass. “Fuck, princess, Get upstairs, before I fuck you into the floor.”

With a pleased grin, Louis does as he’s told, stripping his shirt off as he makes his way to Harry’s bedroom. Harry’s following close behind, and when he unbuttons his jeans and starts sliding them off slowly, he’s rewarded with a groan from behind him. Then, Harry’s flipping him over onto the bed, and pulling the jeans the rest of the way off. 

Harry’s got his own sweatshirt and shirt already off, so now he’s just standing there in his jeans. When Louis blinks up at him, Harry groans again, and leans over Louis to start mouthing at his hips.

“Missed you so much princess, are you really going to tease me?” Louis sighs pitifully, and rests a hand in Harry’s - _short_ , fuck that’s going to take getting used to- hair, and tugs. Harry groans as he sucks a mark onto one hip, then moves down so he’s kissing at Louis’ thighs. He gets close, so _so_ close to where Louis thinks he’ll go, then abruptly stands up.

Louis whines, and pouts up at him. “Now who’s the fucking _tease_.”

Harry just laughs, and strips his jeans off before crawling onto the bed and situating himself above Louis. “You love it princess, don’t lie to me.” He presses a soft kiss behind Louis’ ear. Louis rolls his eyes, and tries rolling his hips up into Harry’s. When Harry just rests a hand on him, stilling him easily, Louis whimpers. Harry grins again, then whispers, “Beg for me, angel.”

Louis gasps. “ _Please_ Harry I-”

Harry tsks, and shakes his head. “Nuh uh baby, what do you say?”

Louis’ eyebrows furrow, and he tries bucking his hips again. “I-I said _please_ Harr-”

Harry smacks lightly at his thigh. “No, what do you call me sweets? Who am I, baby?”

Louis stares up at him, his heart thudding. Because there’s _no fucking way_. 

There’s a smirk on Harry’s face now, and presses a reassuring kiss to Louis’ lips. “You’re alright Lou, let me give you what you need? Please baby?”

Louis swallows, his cheeks flaming as he shuts his eyes. Harry’s kisses have moved to Louis’ neck, and Louis tilts his head back. He’s quiet for a moment, before Harry _sucks_ , and Louis gasps.

“ _Daddy please_.”

Harry moans, and all Louis knows after that is the feeling of Harry’s hands, his lips, all touching and stroking and _teasing_ and making him feel cherished and loved.

He comes with the taste of Harry on his lips, the feeling of Harry inside him, in Harry’s bed, and feeling at home for the first time in his life.

\---

Later, when they’re sated, showered, and comfortable under Harry’s covers, Harry’s studying Louis’ tattoos.

They’re both wearing sweatpants -since Harry’s house is still cold from him being away- and Harry’s laying in between Louis’ legs. He rubs at Louis’ ankle gently, before pressing a kiss to it. “I love this tattoo, the triangle.”

Louis smiles softly. “Me too. Got it a month after I came out. ‘S probably my favorite out of all of mine. Not that I have many compared to you.”

Harry grins proudly, and lifts his left arm, showing the underside of his bicep. The words ‘Love Wins’ are tattooed there, in full, bright cursive rainbow colors. “This one’s my favorite, and my only color tattoo.”

Louis reaches out, and rubs his thumb over it. “It’s beautiful, kind of surprised you broke away from your aesthetic though, if I’m being honest.”

Harry laughs, his head thrown back. “Gemma said the same thing, actually. It’s the only tattoo I’ve ever wanted in color.” He pauses, then, shrugs. “Though, lately the color blue hasn’t sounded so bad.” Louis’ eyes snap to Harry’s, to see Harry chewing on his lip.

The look on Harry’s face is so open, and vulnerable, it makes Louis want to wrap him up in his arms and never let him go. His own expression softens, and he tangles one hand in Harry’s curls, while reaching the other hand out to wrap his own fingers around Harry’s.

“Blue is a good color, though I’d probably get something done in green m’self.”

All the tension leaves Harry’s body, and he grins as he rests his head on Louis’ stomach. “That sounds lovely, Lou.”

Louis smiles, and starts carding his fingers through Harry’s hair. Harry starts humming as he does, and when Louis drops off to sleep, it’s the easiest thing he’s done in a while.

\---

_December 15th, 6:00 A.M._

Louis wakes up slowly, to the feeling of someone else’s legs tangled with his, and an arm around his waist. 

He knows he remembers falling asleep as the big spoon, but somehow, he’s wound up using Harry’s chest as a pillow, with Harry’s arm wrapped around him. It’s nice, and Louis sighs into Harry’s chest in contentment. It moves beneath him in a sigh, and Louis moves his head around to blink sleepily up at where Harry’s staring at him. He’s got a small, happy smile on his face, and he brings a hand up to brush Louis’ bangs out of his eyes.

“Morning love, did you sleep well?”

Louis groans, and stretches his legs out as he yawns. He settles back onto Harry, then nods. “Mmhm, best sleep I’ve had in awhile.”

Harry hums, and nods in agreement. “Me too. Best I’ve slept since….” He shrugs, and Louis feels his heart clench. He presses a soft kiss to Harry’s chest, right above the moth that’s tattooed on his stomach.

“You’re never going to sleep alone again love, not while I can help it.” Harry grins at him, and opens his mouth to reply, when there’s a shout from downstairs.

“Harold!”

It’s Niall, and Harry sighs fondly, before calling back, “Oi oi!”

Louis giggles, because he knows _he’s_ the one that started that brand of communication, and his heart feels so _full_. A moment later, there’s footsteps coming up the stairs, down the hall, and Niall’s yammering.

“-when he didn’t show last night but Liam didn’t bloody believe me. Then I seen the car in the yard and I kne-” He comes in the doorway then, and sees Harry and Louis, cuddled together and grinning from ear to ear. With a grin, he leans against the doorway. “Well, well, well.” He turns towards the stairs, and yells again. “Get your arses up here!” 

Harry laughs. “Did you really drag Liam and Zayn here at six in the morning because you seen Louis’ car here?” Niall just shrugs, still smiling.

“Are you two dressed under there?” They both nod, and Niall whoops before flopping onto the bed with them. A little later, both Liam and Zayn come through the door, and seeing the pile already started on the bed, they don’t hesitate to join in.

From there, it’s a mess of giggles, and light teasing on Harry and Louis’ part for being absolute _idiots_. Then, everyone settles down enough to actually talk.

Zayn pokes at Louis’ side. “So, don’t you have a flight to catch in…..” He picks up Harry’s phone, looks at the time, then turns back to Louis. “...two hours?” 

Louis feels Niall and Liam both tense, while Harry just stays still. Louis smiles, and pokes Zayn back. “I think there might be something about Harry that makes people want to miss their flights for him.”

Everyone’s laughing again, then someone turns on Harry’s TV, while Liam goes downstairs to grab some snacks. 

It’s out of nowhere, and maybe a little irresponsible for five adults to just spend the morning in bed watching TV, but it’s _perfect_ , and it’s home.

Louis watches the laughing and the absolute _madness_ going on around him. Harry’s hand is wrapped around his, he’s _happy_ , and he realizes this is exactly where he’s supposed to be.


	9. Epilogue

_June 20th, 1:00, Gooseberry Falls_

“Hey Lou, does this look better?”

Louis looks up from where he’d been texting Niall ( _yes u have to wear the tie do u want zayn to kill u?_ ) and smiles when he sees Liam’s nervous face. He’s got his tie redone for the fiftieth time, and Louis tries to sound as sincere as possible, so Liam will stop trying to retie it.

“It looks perfect Li, you look amazing, _stop_ worrying.” With a groan, Liam brings his hands up as if to untie it again. Louis quickly grabs his hands. “ _No_ , no no no, _stop it_. Everything is absolutely perfect, I swear.” Liam looks like he’s going to protest, and Louis shakes his head. “Stop it! You think Zayn’s going to be looking at anything other than your stupidly adorable face?”

Liam’s face changes from worried to completely and utterly _lovesick_ so quickly Louis almost gets whiplash. Liam just grins at him. “Thanks Lou. You sure I look fine?” Louis rolls his eyes.

“ _Yes_ holy fuck Liam, do I need to get your mum back in here? I swear Harry can’t be having this much of a problem with Zayn.”

With a giggle, Liam tugs at Louis’ perfectly styled hair, then dodges the smack aimed at his arm immediately after. 

Liam seems to be a lot less nervous now, and Louis mentally fist pumps. Mission completed.

A moment later, there’s a knock on the door, and Niall steps in. He’s grinning, and Louis returns the smile immediately. Niall raises his eyebrows at him, then takes a breath and claps his hands as he turns to Liam.

“Well Li?” Liam grins back, and nods.

“Fuck yeah.”

Niall pulls them into a huddle -careful not to mess up any of their suits- before they all pull away, smiles still firmly in place. 

“You want your parents in here Li? Lou and I gotta get out there, the ceremony’s about to start.”

Liam takes a deep breath, and nods. “Yeah. I’m ready, see you guys out there.”

They both pat him on the shoulder, before leaving the room. They find Liam’s parents, then go find Zayn and wish him luck. He looks just as good as Liam did, and just as nervous.

Everything’s perfect.

Louis and Niall make their way out of the building, out to where people are mingling on the beach and in the grass before finding their way to the seats that are set up on a platform on the beach. In the background, the waterfalls are gorgeous, and Louis stops to stare as Niall wanders off to find….someone. Louis has stopped listening, because he’s just spotted Harry.

It’s been almost ten months since they met, nearly a year, and Harry still takes his breath away.

He hopes that feeling never goes away.

Harry must’ve seen Louis first, because he’s already making his way over to him. He keeps getting stopped by people, but eventually, he’s standing in front of Louis. He’s got a huge smile on his face, and is wearing a plain black suit for once. Of course, it’s a Calvin Klein suit (just like Louis’, because they’d wanted to match), but still.

Louis smiles back, and stands on his tiptoes for a brief kiss. When they pull away, he reaches up to tuck a stubborn curl back behind Harry’s ear. 

“You ready to go curly?”

Harry laughs, his hands coming down to rest on Louis’ waist. “Of course. Been waiting for this moment since Zayn told me I was going to be his best man.”

Louis arches his eyebrows. “And exactly how long ago was that?”

Harry looks up, pretending to think, before looking back down at Louis. “Ummm about….fifteen years ago? Of course, we were discussing his wedding with Leonardo DiCaprio at the time, but still. The sentiment is still there.”

Louis just shakes his head, laughing. “You talk so much shit.”

Harry giggles in return, and leans in to press a kiss to Louis’ nose just as Niall comes up to them. “Oi wankers, y’know this wedding isn’t yours right?” 

Louis rolls his eyes, and is about to retort, but one of Zayn’s sisters comes up then. “I’m supposed to tell you guys to get your arses down there, or Liam’s mum’ll have your heads.” 

They both nod, all business immediately, and Harry turns and pecks Louis’ lips before they’re all making their way down the small hill to where the guests are already sitting. 

The music starts and Niall goes to stand up front with Liam and the officiant, a nice gentleman that Harry knew somehow. Go figure.

Louis grins as he and Harry start walking down the aisle, arm in arm, to the tune of Canon in D.

When they reach the end of the aisle, Harry goes off to stand to the side Zayn’ll be on, and Louis finds his spot next to Niall.

When Liam and Zayn had asked him in March to be part of their wedding, there had been a brief argument over whose groomsman he was going to be. That’d been decided when everyone realized he and Harry could walk together if Louis was one of Liam’s.

The rest of the wedding party makes their way down the aisle, before the time has _finally_ come. Everyone turns and watches, an even mixture of smiles and tears, as Zayn walks down the aisle escorted by his parents. 

By the time they’ve made their way through the vows, and Harry is handing them their rings, there’s not a dry eye to be seen.

Louis thinks Harry might be crying just as much as either of the groom’s parents, the big sap.

When they kiss, Liam dips Zayn, and then there’s laughter mixed in with the crying.

The two start making their way up the hill to the dance hall, and Louis links one arm with Niall’s before linking the other with Harry’s and leading them both down the aisle, the rest of the wedding party following close behind.

\---

Before Harry stands up to give his speech at the reception, Louis sees Zayn turn to glare him.

“Harry Edward Styles, if you make me cry and ruin my makeup I will hurt you.”

Harry smirks, and pats Zayn’s cheek. “I wouldn’t _dream_ of it darling.”

Then, Harry stands, squeezing Louis’ hand as he does. Louis squeezes back, and feels giddy at the smile that forms on Harry’s face after he does.

Harry takes the microphone someone hands to him, and clears his throat, looking down at the paper in his hand briefly before grinning out at the crowd.

“So, um. Most of you know me, but for the maybe like, three of you who don’t, I’m Harry. I’ve been Zayn’s best friend since he was in diapers.” He pauses, then continues, “I first met Zayn when he was ten-” Laughter ripples across the room, and Louis sees Zayn rolling his eyes but fighting back a grin. “-and I was nine. He was charismatic even then, and had me wrapped tightly around his finger barely five minutes after we met. He knew how to have fun, and how to joke around and plan a good prank as well, and he’s kept those qualities, even as he’s grown.” 

Harry pauses then, and grins at Zayn briefly before looking back at the audience. “Zayn’s also one of the most kind hearted people I know. He’ll drop everything in a heartbeat if he’s asked, and never expect anything in return. Even while he’s yelling at you, you know he’s doing it out of love. Zayn has a beautiful soul, and, at the risk of angering both my own boyfriend and Zayn’s husband, I also will admit he’s absolutely gorgeous.” Everyone laughs, and when Louis looks over at Zayn, he’s no longer fighting his smile, and his eyes already look a little watery.

Harry lets the laughter die again, then he takes a deep breath. “All of those qualities make Zayn an amazing friend, and after meeting him, it’s hard not to fall at least a little bit in love with him.” Harry looks over at Liam then, and smiles at him briefly. “So, when Liam here met Zayn, he didn’t stand a chance. I knew right away when they met, that Liam was halfway to falling in love already.” He raises his eyebrows then, and gestures at Zayn, who’s stopped trying to fight the tears. 

“What I didn’t expect, was for my best friend to fall in love right back. Of course, looking back on it, and being just as close with Liam now as I am with Zayn, it makes sense.” Harry swallows then, and Louis knows he’s fighting back tears of his own. “Because they’ve both found the one person in the entire world who can treat each other the way they deserve.”

He reaches up and wipes at his eyes, and chuckles afterwards. “You’ll have to forgive the tears, it’s the first time my best friend has gotten married.” There’s more laughter, though mostly everyone is fighting tears as well, Louis included. Harry sniffs, then looks back at his paper momentarily. “So, Liam. You’re one of the best men I know. You’re one of my closest friends, you’re my family. I love you so much, and seeing you this happy with someone I know we both love, is the best feeling in the world.” Liam’s grinning, one hand squeezing Zayn’s, and the other one coming up to blow a kiss to Harry. Harry sniffs again, his voice strained when he addresses Zayn.

“Zayn. You are, without a doubt, my best friend. If I had to relive the last fifteen years, there’s not a thing I would change, except I’d find a way for you to meet Liam sooner. Because he has made you _so happy_ with his love, and you’ve become so full of life loving him in return. Your love for each other, over the years, has always been something I’ve both envied, and strived for.” Louis grabs for his napkin, and discreetly tries to wipe at his eyes. “If the last year has taught me anything though, it’s that while your kind of love may be something to be envied; once you have it? It should be cherished, fought for, and accepted so fully, that neither of you doubt it for even a second.” 

He glances at Louis as he says the last sentence, and Louis feels overwhelmed with the need to kiss him.

 _Later, later, later_.

Harry grins then, eyes watery but full of joy. “Both of you are cherished, by everyone in this room, but most importantly by each other. Never let the other forget that.” The grooms nod, both of their faces wet, and smiles on their faces. Harry lifts his glass, and everyone follows suit.

“To family.”

Everyone drinks, and as soon as the glasses are set down, Zayn has Harry wrapped in his arms. He’s sobbing, and Louis catches little bits of _told you not to fucking make me cry-you’re such a dick-fuck I love you_ , and then Harry’s pulling Liam into the hug. A second later, Liam gestures at Louis, and then he and Niall have joined the tearful, giggly hug. 

When they pull away, Liam and Zayn kiss, and then it’s Niall’s turn to give his speech.

He starts it off with “Well, thank you Harry, but um, I think I should’ve gone first…..” then proceeds to lead everyone into another round of tears, with a little more laughter.

\---

Later on, after the lights have gone down, but no one’s quite drunk yet, Harry grabs Louis’ hand, and pulls him onto the dance floor. They both have their suit jackets off, and Harry has the top three buttons of his shirt undone.

A song Louis doesn’t know is playing, but he and Harry sway to the beat, talking quietly as they do. Harry’s hands are wrapped around Louis’ waist, and Louis has his own arms around the back of Harry’s neck. 

In the middle of Louis telling Harry about how excited his mum was to hear that they were coming to visit next month, the song switches over, and Louis stops talking to sigh happily.

“I love this song.”

It’s From This Moment On by Shania Twain, and Harry grins.

“I love this song too babe, ‘s one of my favorites.” Louis hums, and Harry rubs his back in a slow circle. “Hey, I’ve got an idea.”

Louis presses a kiss to one of Harry’s swallow tattoos -that Harry had just gotten their eyebrows added to a couple months before, the nerd- and hums again. “What’s your idea love?”

Harry smiles, Louis can just tell, even if he can’t see him. “I think we should have our first dance to this song.”

Louis’ breath hitches, and he grins as he finally looks up at Harry. “I think that is the _best_ idea I’ve heard in my entire life.”

Harry huffs out a laugh, then brings a hand up to grip at Louis’ wrist. “I thought _this_ was the best idea you’d ever heard in your entire life.” He brings Louis’ hand around to his face, then presses a kiss to the tip of Louis’ ring finger, currently adorned with a beautiful silver ring. He’d put it there just a month earlier.

Louis laughs softly, and presses a kiss to Harry’s jaw. “Fine, it’s the second best idea I’ve ever had.”

Harry giggles, and moves his head lower, so he can kiss just next to Louis’ ear, before he whispers, “What if I told you, that my next idea involved us going up to our room, and me stripping you out of this delightful suit of yours?”

Louis swallows, and licks his lips before leaning in to whisper in Harry’s ear. “I’d say that the song has officially moved down to number three on the list, Daddy.”

He hears Harry groan, and the next thing he knows, he’s being lifted up into a fireman’s carry. He lets out a yelp, and flips off the multiple catcalls they get as Harry exits the room.

When they get to their room, the only thing Harry doesn’t eventually remove from Louis’ body is his ring sitting prettily on his finger.

The ring is engraved with the word _home_ on the inside.

Home, is a big white farmhouse, sitting on an apple orchard in Minnesota. There’s a fireplace, a kitchen that’s hardly ever empty, and sitting framed on the mantle, is the picture they’d taken together in Gooseberry, all those months ago.

Soon, the picture will be joined with a group picture from Zayn and Liam’s wedding day, then shortly after, another group picture from Harry and Louis’.

Eventually, the pictures on the mantle are joined by a picture of a smiling baby girl, dressed in a ridiculous onesie covered in apples. She’s got a dimple on her cheek, and her daddy’s and her uncle’s hearts held in her tiny little hands.

This. _This_ is what Louis has wanted, his entire life, and now that he’s got it? He’s holding on tight, and _never_ letting go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, we've reached the end! Thank you guys SO MUCH for all the commenting/bookmarking/kudosing you've done over the last week, I've honestly had so much fun doing this! 
> 
> If you'd like you can still come talk to me on [tumblr](http://rainbowsandgucci.tumblr.com/)!
> 
> I'll be adding this work to a series soon, because I have a little treat planned, so keep an eye out for that and maybe subscribe if you'd like :)
> 
> Oh! And now we're at the end, the [spotify playlist](https://open.spotify.com/user/vivalaambergrrr/playlist/3rG01JI2IPZ8PKAD4CwZ0a) will probably be 1000000x more painful, so give it a listen!
> 
> Again, thank you all so so much, this has been a blast!


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